Legal Action Initiated Over Suspicious Betting on 2026 Ballon d'Or Rankings

The suspicious betting case linked to the 2026 Ballon d'Or has taken a legal turn, with the Amory Group, owner of the "France Football" magazine, announcing the initiation of legal proceedings to file a complaint aimed at uncovering the circumstances surrounding the suspected leak of the final award rankings. This move followed the detection of highly accurate bets predicting the top five positions in the Ballon d'Or ranking, raising questions about whether some bettors had access to confidential information before the official announcement of the results. It was revealed that 12 accounts were specifically created for this purpose, placing a total of $264,000 on the correct ranking led by Harry Kane, followed by Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Lionel Messi. These bets yielded profits close to €179,000, intensifying suspicions about how such precise rankings were obtained, although no proof of leak or manipulation has been confirmed so far. The Amory Group emphasized in a statement that the integrity of the Ballon d'Or is a top priority and that the winner is chosen through an independent voting process. They noted that they are taking allegations of result leaks and potentially fraudulent bets very seriously, with investigations underway to verify facts and identify possible liabilities. Investigations conducted by the "Upside" platform revealed suspicious indicators regarding the 12 accounts, with seven having no prior betting history and six placing their first bets just 15 minutes after being created. These findings remain under review, pending clarification on whether the bets were based on leaked information or other factors, and whether any legal responsibilities can be established.