The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London was marked by a controversial moment after Real Madrid's TV channel halted its broadcast seconds before the announcement of winner Harry Kane.
According to Spanish media, the club TV of the “Kings“ stopped the broadcast just as it became clear that the English striker had won the prestigious award, ahead of Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe.
A message appeared on the screen stating that the content was “unavailable for reasons related to audiovisual broadcasting rights“. However, the coincidence between the interruption and the announcement of the winner has raised doubts about the real reason for the interruption of the signal.
Kane was awarded after an impressive season in which he scored 73 goals in 65 games, including 61 goals with Bayern Munich. Mbappe remained in second place in the ranking, while Barcelona's Lamine Yamal was named the best young player for the third consecutive year.
The behavior of Real Madrid television has also sparked further comments due to previous cases in which the media outlet published harsh videos against the refereeing. Such actions are often perceived as an attempt to exert pressure before important meetings.
It remains unclear whether the interruption of the ceremony was solely related to television rights, or whether the timing had another explanation.