Ballon d'Or rigged? Journalist pressured to vote for another player
A shocking revelation has emerged about what happened behind the scenes of the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting.
Details: Moroccan journalist Mostafa Badri, who represented his country in the Ballon d'Or voting, has claimed that certain individuals attempted to pressure him into voting against Achraf Hakimi. In an exclusive interview with Africafoot, Badri revealed that he was contacted shortly before the official vote and encouraged to support another candidate.
“I'll reveal a secret and give Africafoot a real exclusive. 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 not to reveal. I did not give in to these requests, but this experience shows that attempts to influence these kinds of votes do exist,” Badri stated.
The journalist also admitted that his Moroccan nationality had influenced his decision, although he insisted that his choice was fully justified by sporting considerations.
“I won't hide it: my Moroccan pride naturally played a role in my choice. But that absolutely does not mean my vote lacked sporting arguments. I'm proud to have placed Hakimi first because I genuinely believe he deserved to be named the best player of the year,” he explained.
Badri ultimately placed Hakimi first on his ballot, followed by Kylian Mbappé in second place and Lamine Yamal in third. He did not reveal the identity of those who allegedly approached him or the player they wanted him to support.
It's worth noting that Hakimi finished 13th in the official 2026 Ballon d'Or standings with 65 points, while Harry Kane claimed the prestigious award.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
