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Ballon d’Or organizer files complaint over suspicious Polymarket bets

Twelve freshly created accounts netted about $200,000 betting the exact 2026 top five, and Groupe Amaury says investigations are underway to establish responsibility.

Published 3 Nov 2026, 03:20 UTC

Groupe Amaury, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or, has filed a legal complaint over suspected fraudulent betting on Polymarket after a possible leak of the 2026 award results.

Key takeaways

  • The complaint was announced Oct. 31, five days after Harry Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or at an Oct. 26 ceremony in London.
  • Twelve accounts created on Polymarket from Oct. 1 reportedly wagered about $264,000 on the exact top-five order and won about $200,000.
  • Groupe Amaury said investigations are underway to verify the facts and determine responsibility.
  • Polymarket, where the bets were placed, is banned in France.

The French media group, which owns France Football and has organized the award for 70 years, announced the complaint in a statement on Saturday, Oct. 31. “The integrity of the Ballon d’Or is an absolute priority,” it said, adding that investigations were underway to verify the facts and determine any responsibility. The statement also noted that the winner is chosen by an independent vote.

Kane won the men’s award at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26, becoming the first Englishman to take it in 25 years. Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi filled the remaining places in the top five.

The betting pattern behind the complaint was flagged publicly on Oct. 23, three days before the ceremony. Twelve accounts created on Polymarket from Oct. 1, shortly after voting closed, reportedly wagered about $264,000 on the exact top-five finishing order and collected roughly $200,000. Seven of the accounts bet on nothing else, and a blockchain analysis of the wallets reportedly showed about $309,000 deposited and about $500,000 withdrawn, with the first withdrawal 19 minutes after the results were announced.

Polymarket is banned in France, where the bets were placed on a platform French rules do not permit. Pascal Ferré, a former editor of France Football, has said only a handful of people should know the winner in advance. The episode also lands as US regulators run insider-trading probes into Polymarket markets.

French police have reportedly been informed. For help with gambling-related harm, see InsideBitcoins’ responsible gambling resources.