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

It was the first time the Ballon d'Or had been held in London in its 70-year history – but the event was not plain sailing. BBC Sport assesses a chaotic night. The Ballon d'Or ceremony began at 20:45 GMT instead of 20:00 because of traffic issues It was the first time the Ballon d'Or had been held in London in its 70-year history, with organisers choosing the iconic London Palladium as the venue. Despite the perfect homecoming for Harry Kane on Monday night, the rest of the event was not plain sailing. Did the organisers give away the winners early or was it just a simple mix-up? Why was the ceremony delayed and why was the audience booing?

London traffic can cause issues on any day but unfortunately for the Ballon d'Or organisers, they chose to hold a major event just a stone's throw from Oxford Street on the same day the famous shopping area was made traffic-free. That, coupled with large crowds at the event entrance, meant significant numbers of guests were delayed and the start had to be pushed back by 45 minutes. Once it did get under way, a rowdy and boisterous audience sat through a ceremony that lasted nearly two and a half hours. On a number of occasions, hosts Kate Scott and Thierry Henry had