Louis Vuitton Builds Gold-V Trunks for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Trophies

Louis Vuitton has made the cases the 2026 Ballon d'Or trophies travel in. The house unveiled bespoke trophy trunks for the men's and women's awards on October 26, the day of the ceremony at the London Palladium, and on October 27 congratulated the winners, Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas, in a photo series with the trunks beside them.

Louis Vuitton says it "renews its partnership" with the Ballon d'Or for the award's 70th anniversary and its debut in London, and describes itself in the post as an official partner of the prize. Its own wording for the brief is trunks "crafted to carry football's highest individual distinctions".

Louis Vuitton

The trunk

Both trunks are covered in Monogram canvas, with brass corner clasps and a central lock, and a broad gold V across the front. Louis Vuitton says a lock and key "rooted in the House's historic trunk-making savoir-faire" secure the cases and that their golden finish echoes the trophy itself. Its post also ties the cases to the award's history, back to Sir Stanley Matthews, the first recipient in 1956.

The V is the detail the house wants noticed. In text on its own post, Louis Vuitton says the trunks' gilded accents end in a "finely hand-painted V", a tribute to "Victory" and "Vuitton". Its photos show a gloved hand drawing the V's edge with a fine pointed tool, and a hammer and other hand tools laid out on a table.

The winners

Harry Kane won the men's award and Alexia Putellas the women's at the ceremony on Monday, October 26 at the London Palladium, according to ESPN and NBC Sports. ESPN's results have Kylian Mbappé second and Lamine Yamal third in the men's vote, and Ewa Pajor second and Khadija Shaw third in the women's. Louis Vuitton's photographs show Kane, in a tuxedo, and Putellas, in a cream dress, each holding their golden ball next to a trunk.

Louis Vuitton

Our read

A trophy trunk isn't a product, and Louis Vuitton hasn't said whether it will ever sell one or what it cost to make. It's a placement, and a smart one: the cases carry the house's name and sit next to the winners in its own photos. It follows the house's cultural push of the same week, when it filled the Grand Palais with seven years of Artycapucines, and sits alongside its Monogram collaborations. Louis Vuitton hasn't said how many trunks it made.