Ballon d'Or in London - the most chaotic ever?
Written by: Sarah Dawkins
By: Athirah Balqis binti Hafizan
Credits: BBC News
Summary of News
London, 27 October 2026: For the first time in its 70-year history, the prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony was hosted outside of its traditional setting, choosing the iconic London Palladium as its venue. The night featured a memorable homecoming for local star Harry Kane alongside Alexia Putellas, both of whom were ultimately crowned the winners of the two main categories before addressing the global media in separate press conferences.
The event faced significant logistical and audience disruptions from the start, as it was scheduled near Oxford Street on the same day the shopping district was made traffic-free, causing severe traffic jams and heavy crowds that delayed the kickoff by 45 minutes. Once underway, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour ceremony was repeatedly interrupted by a boisterous audience shouting player names and booing during commercial breaks, forcing hosts Kate Scott and Thierry Henry to pause proceedings. Furthermore, the event drew criticism during Harry Kane's post-ceremonypress session when only male reporters were selected to ask questions while female journalists appeared to be ignored, prompting a formal apology from the Ballon d'Or team.
Outside the venue, the atmosphere turned tense and chaotic as hundreds of fans gathered behind metal fencing and security barricades to catch a glimpse of the football stars. These barriers were ultimately scaled, broken, and ripped down, resulting in physical confrontations with security personnel. The Metropolitan Police were forced to implement a Section 35 dispersal order after crowds began throwing scaffolding clips and bricks toward officers, culminating in two arrests, one for breaching the dispersal order and another for affray and violent disorder.
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