The football aristocracy wore their finest suits, ties, dresses, and designer labels to the Ballon d’Or honors ceremony on Monday evening in Paris.
Lionel Messi is largely predicted to win his ninth solo championship as the top men’s player at the annual awards, which celebrate the best footballing talents in the globe.
Premier League stars, A-list celebrities, YouTube sensations, and former players and managers are among those in attendance at Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet, and there are plenty of fans hoping to catch a look.
Messi, who once wore a weird glittering tuxedo, opted for a more low-key outfit on an evening when he is poised to win another individual award and, most likely, his final Ballon d’Or of his career.
The Argentine wore a stylish black tuxedo and was accompanied by his family as they returned to Paris, where he previously played for PSG.
He was followed by Inter Miami owner David Beckham, who looked as cool as usual in a cross-jacked navy suit.
Beckham wore his hair short for the occasion and appeared to be in good spirits as he smiled for the photographers lining the red carpet.
However, Kylian Mbappe defied convention by arriving in a strange-looking grey tuxedo with a black undershirt.
Manchester City players were among the first to arrive at the glitzy event, strolling with a spring in their step after thumping cross-city rivals Manchester United in the weekend derby at Old Trafford.
Erling Haaland, who is likely to finish high in the Ballon d’Or rankings following a record-breaking first season with Manchester City, wore a navy tuxedo as he entered the theatre with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen.
Eden Hazard, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid star who announced his retirement from sports earlier this month, made a surprise appearance.
The Belgian wore a simple black suit and tie to the awards ceremony, where he was accompanied on the red carpet by his family.
Former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse attended the occasion dressed in another memorable look that will have Reds fans remembering his eye-catching flair during his days at Anfield.
Cisse was possibly better known for his outlandish haircuts and fashion choices at Liverpool than for his goals, as he wore a white suit with no shirt and blue hair on Monday.
Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham drew notice as well, ditching the usual tuxedo in favour of a six-button jacket with a bow tie.
Vinicius Jnr, his club teammate, took his flair a step further, arriving in a beautiful crimson jacket that matched the carpet celebrities were strolling down.
Emiliano Martinez, goalkeeper for Aston Villa and Argentina at the World Cup, was present and posed with his wife outside the venue in a stunning suede-jacket tuxedo.
Bernardo Silva, another Premier League player who made the short trip to France, looked dapper as he entered the event venue. Rodri, a club teammate, followed in a similar style.
They may want to reconcile with former Manchester City teammate Ilkay Gundogan, who left the club in the summer to join Barcelona yet attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
There was also an appearance by tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who is a big football fan and opted to attend the invite-only event in Paris.
Non-sport celebrities included social media influencers IShowSpeed and Luva de Pedreiro, who walked the red carpet in eccentric outfits.
IShowSpeed chose a pair of brand trainers with holes that wouldn’t appear out of place on the beach, while Pedreiro wore a red suit and black shoes.