Ballon d’Or 2026 in London: fake rankings to hide the winner
In the plush corridors of the Royal Albert Hall, the organizers are fine‑tuning the final details of the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled in London in a few hours. While the burning question — who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé — hangs in the air, the suspense is total.
Vincent Garcia, editor‑in‑chief of France Football, told Brut about the measures taken to protect the secret. “Regarding the number of people who know who the Ballon d’Or is, I can’t be the only one. Let’s say it’s counted on the fingers of one hand,” he said.
The voting process has been completely overhauled. “We no longer send votes by email. We no longer send votes via WhatsApp. We have a process that is quite technical and has been working pretty well for a few years,” Garcia explains. This technical method limits leaks.
The organization still has to engage in dialogue with several football stakeholders before the award ceremony. “There are inevitably discussions ahead of the ceremony with players, clubs, and agents,” the editor‑in‑chief acknowledges. These interlocutors complicate the preservation of secrecy.
Until 2024, the winner was informed before the show. This practice was abandoned to strengthen confidentiality and facilitate the preparation of the dedicated magazine. “Over time, two points have seemed essential to us. First, confidentiality,” Garcia explains.
The risk of a leak is not limited to clubs or agents. “There are many people in the loop. It can be family, clubs, agents, a lot of people. Sometimes people we wouldn’t even suspect: the hairdresser who prepares the player for the ceremony,” he adds. Some players hesitate to travel if they know they will leave empty‑handed.
Disinformation Strategies
To muddy the waters, France Football multiplies the decoys. “We set a few traps, of course. It can be fake newspaper railways. It can be false rankings that circulate,” Garcia reveals. These false leads fuel speculation without revealing Ousmane Dembélé’s successor.
As the verdict approaches, the football community remains on edge, aware that the name of the future laureate will only be revealed at the ceremony. This discretion reinforces the mystery that surrounds each edition of the Ballon d’Or.