Ballon d'Or in London - the most chaotic ever?

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reported that the Ballon d’Or was staged in London for the first time in the award’s 70-year history, with the London Palladium hosting Monday’s ceremony. The evening ultimately delivered major winners, including Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas, but BBC Sport said the event was marked by repeated disruptions from the start.

According to the report, traffic around central London and large crowds at the venue delayed the ceremony by 45 minutes. Once inside, the audience was described as unusually loud, with hosts Kate Scott and Thierry Henry occasionally pausing while people called out players’ names. BBC Sport also noted several instances of booing during commercial breaks.

The report said tensions continued outside the venue, where hundreds of spectators gathered for a view of the red carpet and some barriers were climbed, damaged or removed. BBC Sport also said there appeared to be clashes involving security and police, and that the Metropolitan Police had been contacted for comment.

Another point of confusion came before the ceremony, when the Ballon d’Or website briefly published articles suggesting some winners in advance. A spokesperson told BBC Sport the items had been uploaded in error and were not meant to indicate the final results. The report said the Ballon d’Or team later apologised.