Ballon d’Or 2026: Mbappé, Yamal and Other Stars Who Stole the Show on the Red Carpet

Some of football’s biggest names turned the red carpet into a fashion runway as the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony took place in London on Monday eveningWhile one colour clearly dominated the night, a few stars dared to stand out with bold choices that quickly got many fans talking across social mediaSeveral players also arrived with their partners, and one young star and his girlfriend caught the eye with their perfectly coordinated looks on the red carpetPAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!

Football stars and celebrities turned heads on the red carpet at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.

Organisers chose the British capital to mark the award’s 70th anniversary and honour Sir Stanley Matthews, its very first winner.

British singer Jorja Smith was billed to perform on the night. Lionel Messi was, however, not expected to attend, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that he had not been invited to present an award.

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Ahead of the main prize, Harry Kane picked up the Gerd Müller Trophy for his goalscoring exploits.

Two of the night’s leading contenders were among the first to catch the eye as the stars made their way into the venue.

On Monday, October 26, 2026, Kylian Mbappé stepped out in a suede tuxedo, a look ESPN listed among the best of the night.

Lamine Yamal kept it sleek in an all-black outfit, finished with a large light-pink flower-shaped pin.

The Barcelona star arrived with his girlfriend, Inés García, who matched him in black. Both players were among the favourites for the main prize, alongside Harry Kane.

The Instagram video of Lamine Yamal and Inés García, in which the couple rock matching black outfits, are below.

Reigning winner Ousmane Dembélé chose a different route, stepping out in head-to-toe brown with a pair of sunglasses.

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Algeria and Bayer Leverkusen’s 20-year-old midfielder Ibrahim Maza opted for a classic black tuxedo. Former Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen and his wife, Louise Bonsall, coordinated in matching black outfits.

Harry Kane walked the carpet with his wife, Katie Goodland, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta arrived with his wife, Lorena Bernal.

Rodri also drew attention in a sharp suit, prompting FC Barcelona’s social media account to joke that the suit was wearing him. Spain defender Marc Cucurella showed up in designer attire.

Among the women, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner turned heads in an all-black suit with button detailing.

The actress, who attended as a Louis Vuitton house ambassador, was also named among ESPN’s best dressed. Jorja Smith wore a black lace dress with a dramatic train ahead of her performance.

Broadcaster Kate Scott went for a long, sheer black dress with floral detailing and bare arms, and arrived with her husband, Malik.

Alexia Putellas broke away from the dark tones in a cream outfit with feather detailing. Lucy Bronze rocked a maroon one-shoulder dress with her hair up, while Club America’s Scarlett Camberos wore a wine-red gown.

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England’s Alessia Russo picked a satin dress with a high neckline, and Alex Greenwood wore a floor-length black dress.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the official Ballon d’Or website published articles naming Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal as winners hours before the ceremony.

The articles appeared to have been pre-written for each leading contender and were spotted by the Daily Mail’s sports team.

Organisers took down the Kane and Mbappé pieces after the alert, but Yamal’s article reportedly stayed live for more than 30 minutes.

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Ben-oni Blay (Entertainment Editor) Ben-Oni Quao Blay is an Entertainment Editor at YEN.com.gh with a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Cape Coast. He has over five years of experience in SEO content creation, digital publishing, and audience analytics. Before joining YEN.com.gh, he served as Lead Content Creator and Writer at the International Filmmakers Association (Germany), where he covered film and entertainment. He holds Google certifications in Digital Marketing and SEO. Contact him at benoni.blay@yen.com.gh.