Ballon d’Or Organizers Prepare Criminal Complaint Over Suspicious Polymarket Bets Yielding $200,000

Groupe Amaury is preparing a criminal complaint to French police after a cluster of anonymous Polymarket accounts made nearly $200,000 betting on the exact top-five finishing order at the Ballon d’Or awards. The owner of France Football is investigating whether confidential voting results were leaked ahead of the Oct. 26 ceremony in London.

The inquiry follows reporting by French outlet Upside, which identified 12 accounts that collectively wagered around $264,000 on the top five. Harry Kane won the men’s award, followed by Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi. Groupe Amaury told Le Parisien it is taking allegations of leaked results seriously and has informed authorities, as reported by The Guardian.

Unusual Betting Patterns

Upside flagged the suspicious activity on Oct. 23, three days before the winners were revealed. The accounts were created between October 1 and October 20, shortly after voting closed. Seven had placed no bets on other subjects. Six began trading within 15 minutes of being opened.

One trader using the name kraben006 backed each of the five places separately. Blockchain analysis showed approximately $309,000 deposited across the accounts and $500,000 withdrawn. The first withdrawal occurred 19 minutes after the results were announced.

The Open Question

The Ballon d’Or is determined by a jury of international journalists, with results kept confidential until the ceremony. Former France Football editor Pascal Ferré has said only a handful of people should know the winner beforehand. No leak has been established. Correct predictions alone do not constitute legal proof of criminal wrongdoing. French police will examine the linked transactions and a connection to financial app Deblock.