CricBengal.com | International Football
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal added another milestone to his young career at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, winning the men’s young talent award for the third consecutive year. However, the ceremony was also overshadowed by a website error that sparked confusion over the identity of the men’s Ballon d’Or winner.
The 70th edition of football’s prestigious individual awards took place at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, with several players, coaches and clubs recognised for their achievements.
Yamal Wins His Third Consecutive Young Talent Award
Yamal secured the men’s young talent award for the third successive year, further strengthening his reputation as one of football’s most exciting young players.
The Barcelona forward has attracted attention for his dribbling, creativity and attacking contributions. His latest award adds another achievement to an already impressive start to his senior career.
Barcelona teammate Vicky López won the women’s young talent award.
What Happened on the Ballon d’Or Website?
Before the ceremony, three separate articles appeared on the official Ballon d’Or website naming Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal as winners of the men’s award.
The articles were subsequently removed.
Organisers explained that profiles prepared for the nominees had been published online inadvertently. They stressed that the articles should not be interpreted as an indication of the final results or rankings.
The incident quickly generated discussion among football fans, but the premature articles did not establish who had actually won the award.
Other Winners at the Ceremony
Several other awards were presented in London.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente received the men’s coach of the year award, while Barcelona manager Pere Romeu won the women’s coaching honour.
Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simón was named men’s goalkeeper of the year, and Barcelona’s Cata Coll received the women’s award.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the men’s striker of the year award. Paris Saint-Germain received the men’s club of the year honour, while Barcelona was recognised as the women’s club of the year.
Attention Remains on the Main Awards
The Ballon d’Or remains one of football’s most closely followed individual honours, with fans eager to discover which players have been recognised for their performances during the season.
This year’s ceremony attracted additional attention because of the premature publication of the winner articles. The final men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or results should be confirmed against the official winners’ list rather than inferred from the deleted articles.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian and the official Ballon d’Or website.
