Ballon d'Or Ceremony Delayed in London Amid Chaotic Red Carpet Scenes
Large crowds attempted to access the event, leading to police intervention and a half-hour delay.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony, held in London for the first time, experienced a half-hour delay due to chaotic scenes outside the London Palladium as large crowds attempted to access the red carpet. Police were compelled to push back fans who gathered in large numbers, hoping to catch a glimpse of arriving stars.
The delay occurred shortly after the arrival of Ballon d'Or contenders Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. Social media footage depicted police holding back fans who appeared to be trying to breach barriers near the venue.
This year marked the first time the prestigious football awards ceremony, overseen by France Football, has been held outside of France in its 70-year history. The decision to host the event in London was reportedly made to honor Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d'Or winner in 1956.
In addition to the crowd issues, the build-up to the ceremony was marked by a separate incident where a photographer clashed with a security guard on the event's official broadcast. The photographer was seen being pulled away by the guard after appearing to walk into the DAZN red carpet coverage.
Organizers also faced embarrassment prior to the event when their official website prematurely announced Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Mbappe as the winners of the men's prize in separate articles. These articles were subsequently removed, and an investigation was launched after the errors were brought to the organizers' attention.
