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Every Celebrity Spotted at the 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony

There were actors, musicians and even mixed martial artists strolling up and down the red carpet in London.
Grey Whitebloom|
The stars were out for the Ballon d’or.
The stars were out for the Ballon d’or. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

When Flórián Albert won the 1967 Ballon d’Or he was presented with the award in his kitchen.

Having been forced to pull out of Hungary’s clash with the USSR due to injury, the plan to hand Albert the trophy in front of a packed stadium was quashed. Károly Sós, Albert’s manager, bluntly rejected the suggestion that his player would be individually recognized in the team hotel, so France Football’s editor-in-chief at the time, Max Urbini, had to host an impromptu ceremony next to the refrigerator. Albert’s wife, the revered actor Irén Bársony, was the only spectator.

The modern ceremony looks a little different.

Aside from a distinct lack of washing up, the London Palladium offers room for a few more onlookers than the winner’s spouse. On soccer’s answer to Oscar night, the stars duly came out.

• Ballon d’Or 2026 LIVE Rankings Reveal

Sophie Turner

Sophie Turner glowering.
Sophie Turner was an unmissable figure. | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The long-serving Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner didn’t let an occasion of this heft pass her by. The actor synonymous with her role as Sansa Stark found herself rubbing shoulders with the elite world of soccer, a family which isn’t quite as incestuous as her former on-screen colleagues.

French Montana

The Moroccan-American rapper French Montana had the distinction of “opening” the red carpet affair, although he did look a little unstable while staggering around the top of a double-decker bus going a little too fast around a corner.

Burna Boy

Burna Boy adjusting his sunglasses.
Burna Boy loves a soccer event. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

French Montana was hardly the only musician the grace the red carpet. Burna Boy, the Nigerian rapper who performed alongside Shakira at seemingly every World Cup fixture over the summer, was also in attendance.

Unlike in North America, the artist did not have to sing for his supper on Monday.

Jorja Smith

Jorja Smith attends the 70th Ballon d’Or Ceremony at Palladium Theatre.
Jorja Smith made the trip to London. | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Much like Montana, U.K. artist Jorja Smith was at the ceremony ahead of a performance. The singer from the West Midlands is not a notable fan of the sport but has previously represented the esteemed charity Football Beyond Borders which harnesses children’s love of the game to prove educational and social support to young people.

Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett half-heartedly smiling.
Paddy Pimblett was suited up. | Toby Shepheard/AFP/Getty Images

The outspoken MMA star Paddy Pimblett is a proud Liverpool fan and very much unconvinced by those who support the reigning Premier League champions. “I hate Arsenal fans,” Paddy the Baddy told Wayne Rooney last season. “Arsenal fans are the worst fanbase in the world.”

Hopefully Mikel Arteta hadn’t heard those comments when the pair were milling around the red carpet together.

Caroline Daur

Caroline Daur striking a pose.
Caroline Daur is familiar with striking a pose. | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The German model is only a poser in the very literal sense. An avid soccer fan, Caroline Daur was at the 2026 World Cup final, although, in the absence of Germany, supported Spain.

Fabrizio Romano

Soccer’s most prolific (and divisive) social media personality stepped out from behind his X profile and put down the phone for some actual physical human interaction. Romano was still able post throughout the evening in between awkward addresses to camera as one of DAZN’s pundits.

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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