At the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony, held at the London Palladium, the guests vied with one another in elegance. The evening of 26 October 2026 was once again marked by a dazzling array of outfits, proudly worn not only by the players and their families, but also by the celebrities invited to the event.
Velvet, double-breasted jackets, satin lapels, tone-on-tone burgundy or floral brooches: a look back at seven personalities who have made their outfits a true statement.
Let’s start with the big winner of the 2026 edition. The Englishman was flawless, both in his outfit and on the pitch.
On Monday evening, he wore a black double-breasted tuxedo with satin peaked lapels. Underneath, a white shirt with a black bow tie.
The key detail was on the lapel: the winner wore a red poppy (the British remembrance poppy ), the sole splash of colour that gave the outfit its meaning.
In summary: a sharp cut, structured shoulders, a timeless colour. Black tie in its most orthodox form, and on home turf in London.
The Portuguese footballer, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2000, opted for a midnight blue six-button double-breasted tuxedo with black satin peaked lapels.
Underneath his jacket, he wore a white formal shirt with black front buttons, a black bow tie and a discreet pocket square.
Midnight blue, which appears deeper than black under the camera flashes, is the connoisseur’s choice.
Luis Figo embodies the ease of a man who knows the rules and has nothing to prove. A lesson in timeless elegance.
The 18-year-old German opted for a double-breasted suit for his first Ballon d’Or ceremony. A black tuxedo with six covered buttons and wide, satin-finished peaked lapels.
To complete the outfit, a shirt with a placket and collar buttons, paired with a black bow tie.
The choice of a double-breasted suit – rarely seen at this age – speaks volumes about the young prodigy’s confidence, as he opts for tradition over the latest trends. A safe bet, and a successful one at that.
For this eagerly awaited ceremony, the Frenchman wore a black velvet tuxedo jacket with a satin shawl collar, along with a white shirt and a black bow tie.
The key detail: the interplay between the matt velvet and the shiny satin of the shawl collar, which plays with the light.
Despite a button positioned slightly low, the striker’s outfit is a success, as velvet is the most elegant fabric in any evening wardrobe.
The husband of Kate Scott, who co-hosted the evening alongside Thierry Henry, went off the beaten track.
The former professional boxer wore a camel-coloured double-breasted suit with very wide peaked lapels. He wore the outfit without a shirt, paired with matching loose-fitting trousers.
This departure from the black-tie dress code remains cohesive and controlled, thanks to a generous cut and a solid colour.
The winner of the 2025 edition opted for an all-monochrome look for the evening.
The Parisian sported a burgundy tuxedo with satin peaked lapels, a shirt and a satin bow tie in the same shade. On the bottom, he wore very loose-fitting high-waisted trousers with black loafers.
The jacket button is positioned too low, which makes the chest look saggy, but the boldness of the outfit is worth highlighting.
The Spaniard was seen sporting a distinctive suit as he received his third consecutive Kopa Trophy.
His outfit consisted of a slightly cropped, very structured black jacket with pronounced shoulders, featuring satin-trimmed pointed lapels and a single gold button. Underneath, he wore a black shirt and black bow tie, as well as a large pink floral brooch in his buttonhole. On the bottom, he wore very wide pleated trousers and patent leather shoes.
The all-black look and loose-fitting cuts reflect current trends and demonstrate that the tuxedo is becoming a canvas for personal expression.
Under the spotlight, a poorly fitted suit is unforgiving.
Whether double-breasted, in velvet or tone-on-tone, a successful tuxedo is first and foremost a matter of fit.
That is the whole point of bespoke tailoring: to express a person’s personality through the cut, the fabric and the details.
