Every Watch Spotted at the 2026 Ballon d'Or: Over $4 Million on the Red Carpet

The night's biggest trophy came with the night's biggest watch. Kane collected the 70th Ballon d'Or wearing the 126599TSA, an 18k white gold Cosmograph with a bezel of graduated blue baguette sapphires, diamond-set lugs and sapphire hour markers on a dark obsidian-style dial. Rolex makes its gem-set Daytonas in tiny numbers, and this one almost never appears on a footballer's wrist. Kane is the fifth Englishman to win the award and the first since Michael Owen in 2001, and he picked a watch that matched the occasion.

Spain's goalkeeper took home the Yashin Trophy and dressed like it. The 228236 is the platinum Day-Date 40, and platinum is the only metal Rolex pairs with its ice blue dial, so the color itself tells you what the case is made of. This version runs Roman numerals with a fluted platinum bezel on the President bracelet. It is the quietest flex in the Rolex catalog, heavy in the hand and almost invisible to anyone who does not know watches.

The UFC star swapped fight shorts for a tuxedo and an Everose President. The 228235 with the olive green Roman dial is one of the most requested Day-Date configurations on the market, because the green sunray finish pairs so naturally with Rolex's rose-toned Everose gold. A fluted bezel and the President bracelet finish the look. For a deeper look at the reference, read our Day-Date 228235 review.

Díaz went full gold. The 126505 is the current-generation Daytona in solid 18k Everose on the matching Oyster bracelet, with a matching gold tachymeter bezel instead of ceramic. His black dial with Sundust counters is the configuration most collectors want in this reference, since the pink-toned subdials echo the case. Paired with an oversized black jacket and minimal jewelry, the watch did all the talking.

The Liverpool legend turned pundit picked the sportier way to wear gold. The 126515LN pairs an 18k Everose case with a black Cerachrom bezel and Rolex's Oysterflex strap, which keeps the watch light and wearable for a long night in a three-piece suit. The black dial with Sundust counters mirrors Díaz's 126505, so two former Liverpool men showed up in near-identical dials on different bracelets. It is one of the most practical ways into a solid gold Daytona.

The England defender proved you do not need precious metal to own a red carpet. The 126610LV, nicknamed the "Starbucks," is the 41mm Submariner Date with a green Cerachrom bezel over a black dial, a successor to the famous 50th anniversary "Kermit." Worn with a strapless black gown, the steel sports watch read as confident rather than casual. See how it compares to its all-green sibling in our Rolex Hulk vs Starbucks breakdown, or go deeper with the Submariner 126610 guide.

Dembélé arrived as the reigning champion and handed over the crown in white ceramic. The RM 055 was first built for golfer Bubba Watson, with a white ATZ ceramic bezel and caseback around a titanium caseband and a fully skeletonized manual-wind movement, so it weighs next to nothing on the wrist. Against his burgundy suit, the bright white case was impossible to miss. He collected the 2025 trophy in an RM 67-02, and you can see the rest of his rotation in Ousmane Dembélé's watch collection.

French Montana was booked to perform on the night, and he made sure every camera on the carpet caught his wrist. The RM 07-01 comes from Richard Mille's women's line, here in white ceramic with pink flange and crown details around a diamond-set dial. Rappers have been crossing over to RM's women's references for years, since the smaller cases and brighter colors are far rarer on a man's wrist. Matched with a sparkling white dinner jacket, it was the most styled look of the night.

Yamal collected his third Kopa Trophy and coordinated his watch with his outfit down to the color. His RM 67-01 Extra Flat in red gold sat on a pink strap that matched the oversized feathered brooch on his jacket. The 67-01 is one of Richard Mille's thinnest automatics, with a skeletonized movement and bold Arabic numerals that stay readable through all that openwork. It is a rare example of a young player treating the watch as part of the outfit rather than an afterthought.

Henry co-hosted the ceremony alongside Kate Scott, and the Arsenal legend did it in one of the most talked-about watches of the night. His Nautilus is a custom build by DiW, reworked in blackened Damascus steel with a black embossed dial that carries DiW and Luxehouze signatures next to Patek's own. Custom pieces like this split purists, since the work happens outside Patek Philippe, but they are some of the rarest Nautilus watches in circulation. Under the stage lights, the black-on-black finish looked like pure stealth.

Burna Boy brought the heaviest Patek of the night. The 5980/1R-001 is the Nautilus flyback chronograph in solid 18k rose gold on the integrated bracelet, with a black-brown gradient dial and a single subdial at six that combines the 60-minute and 12-hour counters. Full gold sports chronographs from Patek are rare to begin with, and this one has become one of the most coveted Nautilus references on the secondary market. With dark glasses and a velvet tuxedo, the Afrobeats star kept everything else black and let the gold carry the look.

The young Swiss midfielder made one of the most grown-up watch choices of the night. The 5905R-001 combines two complications Patek does better than almost anyone: an annual calendar that only needs adjusting once a year, at the end of February, and a flyback chronograph. Day, date and month sit in three apertures across a brown sunburst dial that fades to black at the edge, in an 18k rose gold case on black alligator. Most players his age reach for a Daytona first, which is exactly why this one stood out.

The broadcaster who anchored the ceremony from the Palladium stage wore the most diamonds of anyone on our list. Her Big Bang One Click is set with pavé diamonds across the case, bezel and dial, so the whole watch catches light from every angle. The One Click system lets the strap swap in seconds without tools, which is handy for a host juggling outfit changes. Against a black lace dress, the full pavé finish worked like a piece of jewelry.

The 2000 Ballon d'Or winner came back for the 70th edition wearing yellow gold. The Classic Fusion Chronograph is Hublot's cleaner, dressier answer to the Big Bang, with a 42mm 18k yellow gold case, a black dial with two subdials and a ribbed black rubber strap. It is a watch that suits a double-breasted tuxedo, and Figo wore it exactly that way.

Mbappé finished runner-up to Kane, and the Hublot ambassador wore a quiet nod to the brand's roots. The Classic Fusion Tributo pays homage to the very first Hublot of 1980, when the company was still called MDM Genève, and that is why "MDM" is printed at six on the black dial. A polished 18k yellow gold case, a clean three-hand layout and a black rubber strap keep it simple. Choosing the tribute model over a loud Big Bang was a classy move on a night he did not win.

The most unusual watch on the carpet belonged to the Nigerian singer. Vanguart is a young Swiss independent, and the Orb puts a flying tourbillon at the very center of the dial so the regulating organ appears to float under a domed crystal. His version pairs a pale blue ceramic case with a rose gold bezel and a matching strap. Vanguart's logo was printed on the step-and-repeat behind him, which makes this one of the most on-brand wrist moments of the night.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner wore the most minimal watch in the building. Moser's Concept dials remove the logo, the indices and everything else, and the 1804-0403 goes further with a Vantablack dial that absorbs almost all light, so the tourbillon at six looks suspended in empty space. Only a pair of red gold hands interrupts the black. On a former striker known for flair, it was a surprisingly understated pick, and a sophisticated one.

The 2024 winner returned to the ceremony in a watch built for the long game. The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar tracks the date, day, month, leap year and moon phase without correction until the calendar rolls over, and it displays the year in its own four-digit window. The red gold case, silver-plated dial and brown alligator strap give it a classic, almost academic feel. For a midfielder famous for controlling tempo, it is a fitting choice.

The Arsenal and England great brought a modern Cartier collectors are only starting to rediscover. The Calibre de Cartier launched in 2010 as the home of Cartier's first in-house movement, the 1904 MC, and the W7100018 is the full 18k pink gold version on a matching bracelet. Its silvered dial mixes big Roman numerals with a small seconds subdial and a date at three. Discontinued and underrated, it is a smart buy for anyone who wants solid gold without Rolex prices.