The outfits we’ll remember from the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony Lamine Yamal, Alexia Putellas and all the others

The London Palladium was the perfect setting to see Harry Kane lift the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Awarding it to an English player, away from Paris for the first time since the prize was established by France Football, almost seems tailor-made for the occasion, particularly as the ceremony paid tribute to another Englishman: Stanley Matthews, the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner and the oldest player to claim the trophy, at the age of 42. It was a full-circle moment that rewarded not only Kane’s extraordinary season, featuring three domestic trophies and 73 goals, but above all the 33-year-old’s career.

While last night will remain unforgettable for the Bayern Munich forward, the audience will also remember it for other reasons. First and foremost, the spoiler inadvertently published by the official Ballon d’Or website before the ceremony, when three articles appeared announcing Kane, Yamal and Mbappé as the winners of the trophy. Thirty-two minutes after the Daily Mail reported the error, the articles were taken down and the organisers stated that it had simply been a mistake that did not reveal the final podium in any way. The podium, however, turned out to be exactly that.

Beyond this mishap, it was another edition filled with memorable outfits from the male and female players in attendance, whether for their elegance, originality or extravagance. Here are some of the best, starting with the one that attracted more attention than any other.

Lamine Yamal

Harry Kane may have won the Ballon d’Or, but aesthetically the young Spanish superstar completely stole the show. Under the guidance of Pili Vila, the older sister and creative director of singer Rosalía, Lamine Yamal opted for Chanel for the ceremony, pinning an oversized pink camellia to his outfit - to put it mildly. The flower has been a symbol of the brand since Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel first wore a white camellia pinned to the waist of an all-black dress in 1913. It was a choice very similar to Pedro Pascal’s at the latest Academy Awards, but even bolder, considering that the actor had opted for an all-white look on that occasion, including the brooch.

In Yamal’s case, the elegant suit, with a black shirt and bow tie beneath a cropped jacket, proved the perfect choice to highlight both the pink flower and the single central gold button. The look was completed by extremely wide black trousers, matching the dress worn by his girlfriend Inés García. That extra touch of brilliance perfectly embodied his personality. Yamal still returned home with his third consecutive Kopa Trophy as the world’s best young player, although he admitted that he would have gladly given it to teammate Pau Cubarsí.

Alexia Putellas

The women’s Ballon d’Or went hand in hand with the most memorable outfit among the female players in attendance. Alexia Putellas had already chosen Dior to bid farewell to Barcelona after fourteen years, but she went one step further at the ceremony where she was crowned the best female footballer in the world for the third time, wearing a custom ivory dress designed by Jonathan Anderson.

The silk-satin dress, featuring bare shoulders and an expansive cascade of feathers flowing down the skirt, was inspired by Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, creating an angelic silhouette. Its colour palette was the complete opposite of Yamal’s, but the visual impact was similar, particularly on a night dominated by black and other dark shades.

Ousmane Dembélé

Speaking of alternatives to the classic black suit, winning last year’s Ballon d’Or must have given Ousmane Dembélé the confidence to appear on the red carpet in a burgundy-ish suit, although perhaps leaning more towards brown, reminiscent of Messi’s look in 2014. He completed the outfit with striking black rectangular sunglasses. Once again, his choice was the Italian brand Zegna, just as it was at last year’s ceremony.

Scarlett Camberos

Sticking with colour, another highlight came from the highest-ranked Mexican player in Ballon d’Or history, including the men’s category. Scarlett Camberos finished in 21st place but outshone almost everyone on the red carpet in a glossy wine-red dress featuring a straight neckline and a voluminous pleated skirt. The use of different materials was a classy touch, as was the decision to show off her Club América shirt.

Bukayo Saka

The winner of the Sócrates Award chose a very dark midnight-blue double-breasted suit with satin peak lapels. Nothing too elaborate, apart from a sparkling brooch resembling a piece of jewellery: a large teardrop-shaped yellow stone, accompanied by green details and smaller clear stones, with the same touch of colour appearing in enamelled details on the cuffs.

Bukayo Saka received the Sócrates Award for his work with BigShoe, a charity through which he has helped fund more than 120 life-saving medical operations for children in Kano, Nigeria. On stage, he read a letter from a fourteen-year-old boy from Rwanda who was helped by BigShoe after beginning to lose his sight at the age of twelve while living in a village without electricity.

Michael Olise

Returning to the top ten, Michael Olise stood out thanks to the fastening on the oversized black jacket he chose for the red carpet, a Yaku piece inspired by modern tailoring. As with Yamal, the dark background helped the pinkish buttons with silver reflections stand out, arranged across two parallel diagonal rows to create an immediately noticeable asymmetrical closure. Details on the shoulders and a tiny brooch added further refinement to the outfit.

Luis Díaz

Luis Díaz perhaps delivered the most surprising outfit of the night. He also stayed with dark colours, but chose a collarless, open-cut jacket wide enough to conceal the shirt underneath. The piece was Jacquemus’ The Bastide, whose flowing shape recalled that of a kimono.

Harry Kane and the other brooches

Brooches were the defining accessories of this edition. Alongside Yamal’s and those worn by Saka and Olise, Harry Kane opted for a brooch featuring the classic red poppy associated with the England national team, pinning it to a traditional black satin Thom Sweeney tuxedo paired with a dark bow tie and white shirt.

Staying in England, Aston Villa’s Johan Manzambi opted for a highly elegant all-black suit with symmetrical buttons, completed by a gold brooch featuring Yves Saint Laurent’s YSL monogram. One final pin came from Yan Diomande, who wore a stone-embellished silver bow-shaped brooch on his left lapel.

Kylian Mbappé

Closing the list is the Ballon d’Or runner-up, who arrived in a simple velvet Dior tuxedo with satin lapels: understated but still extremely elegant. For those who appreciate the classic combination of bow tie and white shirt, Kylian Mbappé’s look could easily rank among the best outfits of the night, although it certainly attracted less attention than some of the others.