Lineker further noted that the Ballon d’Or organisers ‘seemed to be more focused on the red carpet than actually the night’.
By Kehinde Okeowo
English broadcaster and former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker has taken exception to how Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé and other contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards were treated by the organisers, saying this year’s award ceremony ‘was a bit of a shambles’.
The former Three Lions forward made this known while speaking during the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast.
On Monday, 26 October, in a ceremony held in London, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or ahead of Mbappé by 28 points.
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Reacting to what transpired during the event, Lineker noted that Mbappé was barely acknowledged despite sitting in the front row.
He went on to say the award organisers ‘seemed to be more focused on the red carpet than actually the night’.
Lineker said: ‘I assumed they might give them [Ballon d’Or contenders] a little whisper, because when Kylian Mbappé turned up from Real Madrid, I was thinking, “Ooh, he must have been told here.”’
‘I mean, the show was a bit of a shambles, to be honest. So many things were going wrong, and I felt for them on stage. They seemed to be more focused on the red carpet than actually the night.’
