News from the World of Watches
Ballon d'Or 2026: The Stars' Watches – From Kane's Daytona to Mbappé's Hublot
On Monday evening, 26 October 2026, the Ballon d'Or was presented at the London Palladium – for the first time in London. Harry Kane won the most important individual award in football, Alexia Putellas the women's Ballon d'Or. The guests' wrists attracted at least as much attention: Rarely has a football gala seen so much haute horlogerie. We show which watches the stars wore – and which models from this world you can find at HORANDO.
Key facts at a glance
Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or wearing a white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with a bezel set with blue sapphires – a model that appears in no catalogue.
Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé chose Richard Mille, Kylian Mbappé wore his house brand Hublot.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus appeared twice: As a rose gold chronograph on Burna Boy and as a carbon conversion on Thierry Henry.
The trend of the evening: Gold instead of steel, rubber instead of metal bracelets and watches you cannot simply buy in a shop.
The winners of the 2026 Ballon d'Or
Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munich is the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the Ballon d'Or. He also received the Gerd Müller Trophy as top scorer. Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal followed in the ranking, with Yamal also receiving the Kopa Trophy for the best young player. Alexia Putellas won the women's award. The Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper went to Unai Simón, and Paris Saint-Germain was named Club of the Year.
Harry Kane: A Daytona that officially does not exist
Kane wore a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with the reference 126599TSA to the gala. The case is made of 18-carat white gold, the bezel is set with 36 baguette-cut blue sapphires and the dial is made of obsidian. Rolex does not list this version in its regular catalogue. Such models go to selected clients and are rarely seen on the market.
The basis is the same as on every current Daytona: The automatic calibre 4131 with a 72-hour power reserve and a chronograph with tachymeter scale. If you are looking for a white gold Daytona without gemstones, you will find the 126519LN on an Oysterflex bracelet for 52,900 euros and the 126509 on an Oyster bracelet for 55,990 euros. The entry into steel is the 126500LN for 35,990 euros. What each Rolex model costs in 2026 is covered in our Rolex price check.
Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé: Richard Mille
Lamine Yamal arrived wearing a Richard Mille RM 67-01 Automatic Extra Flat in red gold, paired with a pink rubber strap. The RM 67-01 is one of the brand's thinnest watches, and its skeletonised automatic movement is visible through the sapphire dial. Last year's winner Ousmane Dembélé wore the RM 055 “Bubba Watson” with a case made of carbon and Quartz TPT – a watch so light that you barely feel it on the wrist.
Richard Mille stands for an idea that many brands have adopted: High-tech materials, open movements and rubber straps. If you like this style, you will find it in the Hublot Big Bang, for example.
Kylian Mbappé and Luís Figo: Hublot Classic Fusion
Kylian Mbappé has been a Hublot brand ambassador for years and wore a 38mm Classic Fusion Tributo in 18-carat yellow gold. The black dial has no indices and is paired with a black rubber strap. Luís Figo also chose the Classic Fusion, as a chronograph in King Gold, Hublot's own rose gold alloy.
The Classic Fusion is the quieter sister of the Big Bang: Round case, six visible screws on the bezel, slim construction. We offer the Classic Fusion Original in yellow gold for 20,520 euros and the Classic Fusion Original in titanium for 6,990 euros. You will find all models in our Classic Fusion collection.
Burna Boy and Thierry Henry: Patek Philippe Nautilus
Nigerian musician Burna Boy wore a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph with the reference 5980/1R in rose gold – exactly the watch we also carry. The flyback chronograph shows the elapsed minutes and hours on a single subdial at 6 o'clock. Thierry Henry, on the other hand, wore a Nautilus 5711 that had been completely converted to carbon by the customisation company DiW.
The 5711 has been discontinued since 2021 and is considered one of the most sought-after steel watches of all. At HORANDO you will find the Nautilus Chronograph 5980/1R for 299,900 euros and the Nautilus 5711/1A in original condition for 139,900 euros. More references can be found in our Nautilus collection.
Rodri and Ronaldo: IWC and H. Moser
Rodri, Ballon d'Or winner in 2024 and fourth this year, wore an IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44. Its perpetual calendar shows the date, day, month, year and moon phase and automatically takes into account the length of the months and leap years. A correction is only needed in the year 2100. The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503302 is available from us for 46,165 euros, the entire model line in the IWC Portugieser collection.
Brazilian Ronaldo Nazário chose probably the most unusual watch of the evening: An H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept with a Vantablack dial. The material absorbs almost all incoming light, making the dial look like a black hole in which only the tourbillon seems to float. Musician Adekunle Gold also wore a flying tourbillon in rose gold, the Vanguart Orb.
What the watches reveal about the evening
Three things stood out. First: Gold dominated, steel was hardly to be seen. Second: Rubber straps have become accepted even with a tuxedo, whether from Richard Mille or Hublot. Third: The most striking watches were those you cannot simply buy – Kane's off-catalogue Daytona, Henry's Nautilus conversion, Moser in Vantablack. The base models behind them are available, however. That is exactly where the appeal lies for collectors.
Frequently asked questions
Which watch did Harry Kane wear at the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
Harry Kane wore a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126599TSA in 18-carat white gold with a bezel of 36 blue sapphires and an obsidian dial. The watch is not part of the regular Rolex catalogue.
Which watch did Lamine Yamal wear?
Lamine Yamal wore a Richard Mille RM 67-01 Automatic Extra Flat in red gold with a pink rubber strap.
Which watch did Kylian Mbappé wear?
Kylian Mbappé wore a 38mm Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo in yellow gold with a black dial. He is a Hublot brand ambassador.
Where did the 2026 Ballon d'Or take place?
The ceremony took place on 26 October 2026 at the London Palladium. It was the first time the Ballon d'Or was presented in London.
Conclusion
The 2026 Ballon d'Or was not only an evening for football fans but also for watch lovers. From Kane's sapphire Daytona to Yamal's Richard Mille and Burna Boy's Nautilus Chronograph, it showed how closely top-level sport and haute horlogerie are now connected. You will find many of the base models at HORANDO – new with manufacturer's warranty and insured shipping. If you have questions about a specific reference, we will be happy to advise you personally.
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