Action taken over winner 'leaks'

France Football have taken steps in a bid to ensure the 2026 winner isn't leaked early.

The winner of the Ballon d'Or has often been leaked before the day of the ceremony in previous years.

But France Football, who organise the award and ceremony, have attempted to stop any such leaks this year.

Pascal Ferre, the former head of the Ballon d'Or, explained that the winner has not yet been told - whereas the key nominees used to be informed in advance.

Ferre explained to RMC: "Since 2024, the winners have no longer been informed of their fate before the ceremony, and all nominees are treated equally. When they arrive at the venue in London, none of them will be able to raise their arms in celebration before the others, because they won’t know the result. We changed the rules after the Messi and Ronaldo era.

"To make it easier to keep the result secret, it was decided that the winner’s name would remain undisclosed until the very end.

"How do you keep the winner’s identity a secret? I think the best-kept secret is one that is shared with as few people as possible. Then there are a few tricks and little ploys.

"My own trick was to leave fake rankings lying around the France Football newsroom to fuel speculation on social media, which always made me smile. At the moment, there can’t be more than five people who know the winner’s name."