Ballon d'Or 2026: Moroccan Juror Claims He Was Pressured to Change His Vote

Mustapha Badri, general director of media outlet Al Mountakhab and member of Morocco’s Ballon d’Or 2026 jury, claims he was approached to modify his vote in the hours before the ballot closed. The revelation comes days after Harry Kane’s victory at the 70th ceremony, which had already sparked strong reactions.

When questioned by Africafoot, the journalist explained that he ranked Achraf Hakimi first in his ballot, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. He stands by this choice: “My Moroccan roots naturally played a role in my decision. But that absolutely does not mean my vote lacks sporting arguments. His statistics, his performances and his influence on the pitch allow me to fully stand by my decision. I am proud to have placed him first, because I genuinely believe he deserved to be elected player of the year.”

But it is another revelation that draws attention. Badri claims he received requests to vote against Paris Saint-Germain’s right-back: “In the final hours before the official vote, certain people contacted me to try to influence me and convince me to vote against Achraf Hakimi in favour of another player, whose name I prefer to keep to myself. I did not give in to these requests, but this experience shows that there are attempts to influence this type of ballot.”

The juror did not specify the identity of those who contacted him, nor that of the player he was supposed to vote for. These statements add to the controversy already sparked by the publication of votes Friday evening, with several jurors’ choices drawing heavy comment on social media. Harry Kane won the trophy ahead of Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi.