Ballon d'Or betting under investigation over suspected inside information

Twelve Polymarket accounts came under suspicion over trades worth $264,000. The organizing group confirmed investigations and said a legal complaint is in progress.

Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or has a new controversy: before the ceremony, a group of accounts bet on the top five places in the exact order. Investigators now want to know whether someone had access to the results while they were still confidential.

The flagged trades involve 12 accounts on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction platform. Together they reportedly wagered $264,000, with reported winnings of nearly $200,000.

The prediction matched the ranking announced on October 26 in London: Kane first, Kylian Mbappé second, Lamine Yamal third, Rodri fourth and Lionel Messi fifth.

The top five of the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the exact order the accounts called.

Place	Player
1	Harry Kane
2	Kylian Mbappé
3	Lamine Yamal
4	Rodri
5	Lionel Messi

The red flags

But accuracy was only part of the alarm. The accounts were created between October 1 and 20; seven had never bet on any other market and six made their first trades within 15 minutes of opening.

How the money moved also drew attention. One account sold its bet on Kane winning and reinvested in specific positions, including Yamal finishing third. Analysis of the transactions suggests several accounts may be linked, although it has not yet been shown who controlled them.

Another detail carries weight: the first alert was published on October 23, three days before the ceremony. The questioned prediction was already documented when the trophy still had no public winner.

What the organizers say

The Amaury group, which organizes the award, confirmed investigations to verify the facts and determine possible responsibility. It also said the filing of a legal complaint was under way.

So far, it has not been publicly shown that there was a leak or that the vote was manipulated. The investigation will have to establish who was behind the accounts and how they chose their bets.

Kane won the trophy. What remains to be cleared up is whether someone turned the Ballon d'Or's secret into a way to make money.

Sources: Sud Radio: Ballon d'Or, des paris gagnants sur Polymarket qui interrogent · El Comercio: el Balón de Oro desata una polémica antes de la gala

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