French police investigate suspicious betting linked to Ballon dOr result

French police are investigating betting activity surrounding the Ballon d’Or after 12 accounts on the Polymarket platform correctly predicted the exact finishing order of the top five players in the men’s award.

The accounts placed a combined €250,000 in bets and made a profit of almost €200,000, according to French publication Upside, citing data verified by The Athletic.

A source within French law enforcement said the participants’ activity could indicate the use of insider information.

FranceFootball, which organises the award, was alerted to the suspicious activity before the results were announced.

Harry Kane won the vote, with Kylian Mbappe finishing second, Lamine Yamal third, Rodri fourth and Lionel Messi fifth.

Kwaku Nii

Kwaku Nii is an experienced football writer with a strong background in African football reporting. He has spent over five years working as a freelance journalist, covering matches, transfers and key developments across the continent.He is university educated and has built a reputation for his deep knowledge of the African game, supported by a wide network of contacts within the football industry.Kwaku brings valuable insight, consistency and on-the-ground perspective to his reporting, making him a trusted voice in covering African football stories.He is currently a Staff Writer at African.Football, where he contributes to delivering informed, engaging and reliable football content to a global audience.

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