New details on a series of suspicious bets on the 2026 Ballon D’Or — widely considered the most prestigious individual award in soccer — suggest that four Polymarket accounts may have traded on advance knowledge of the results.
On Oct. 23, French media outlet Upside reported that activity on Polymarket suggested that the rankings of the top five players for the award may have been leaked before the award ceremony took place. On Oct. 26, Harry Kane was announced as the Ballon D’Or winner, followed in the rankings by Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Lionel Messi.
The Guardian reported Oct. 30 that the award’s organizer France Football had contacted the police about the suspicious activity.
Polymarket is blocked in France, after the country’s gambling regulator ordered internet service providers to stop allowing French users to visit the website. However, users have been known to use VPNs to circumvent Polymarket IP address blocking.
