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The Met Gala annually tests the boundaries of fashion. While athletes may not be the first celebrities you think of as fashion icons, many made their way to New York to join in on the festivities.
The 2025 Met Gala saw Joe Burrow and Simone Biles among the star-studded group of athletes, and 2026 brought even more star power from Serena Williams and Alysa Liu to Joe Burrow and Dwyane Wade.
Every outfit stood out in some way, but some stood out more than others.
Here's a look at the best and worst 2026 Met Gala outfits from around the sports world.
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Best and worst 2026 Met Gala outfits from the sports world
Venus Williams
Co-chair Venus Williams looked elegant at the Met Gala, wearing a long, black dress that resembled a galaxy as she stood alongside her husband.
Venus Williams and her husband Andrea Preti on the way to the 2026 Met Gala 🖼️ pic.twitter.com/YJzF8x9bna
— Jacob B. (@JacobB198) May 4, 2026Her sister, Serena, went bolder with a shorter, shinier dress.
Serena Williams strikes a pose on the #MetGala red carpet.https://t.co/9ahmyXebfO pic.twitter.com/kwZcVPL48D
— Variety (@Variety) May 4, 2026Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is known for his fashion sense, though you could call his Met Gala outfit something that looks more like elegant pajamas.
Metropolitan Joe 🔥 @JoeyB pic.twitter.com/R8qLSTtA47
— NFL (@NFL) May 5, 2026Naomi Osaka
Tennis star Naomi Osaka's first outfit certainly fit the "costume art" theme, to say the least, but it was part of her reveal of a unique red dress.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 4, 2026Paige Bueckers
WNBA star Paige Bueckers took the "costume art" theme quite literally, and it worked. She wore a paint-splattered look as she strolled the red carpet on Monday night.
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 4, 2026Alysa Liu
Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu has rocketed to stardom over the last three months, and she met the moment well with an impressive red dress that fit the Met Gala's theme.
Alysa Liu at the #MetGala. pic.twitter.com/F2vCyxikTB
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 4, 2026Justin Jefferson
Taking the red carpet with his college teammate Joe Burrow, Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson went with a black-and-white look for the Met Gala.
— NFL (@NFL) May 4, 2026Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler
Dwyane Wade still looked NBA strong as he took off his vest at the Met Gala, but Jimmy Butler had many more layers on in what was a bit more of an awkward outfit.
Dwyane Wade & Jimmy Butler for the 2026 Met Gala🔥🏀 pic.twitter.com/lXDlA5o4bU
— RapTV (@Rap) May 4, 2026A'ja Wilson
WNBA superstar A'ja Wilson wore a shimmering gold dress to the Met Gala.
— espnW (@espnW) May 4, 2026Russell Wilson
NFL QB Russell Wilson's outfit does complement his wife Ciara's well, to be fair, but he looks a bit more like a dictator than a Met Gala attendee.
Ciara and Russell Wilson on the #MetGala carpet.https://t.co/9ahmyXebfO pic.twitter.com/yDlBRFkZlh
— Variety (@Variety) May 5, 2026Angel Reese
WNBA star Angel Reese has become a regular at the Met Gala. While her long, pink dress could be mistaken for bed sheets, the look was well-received on social media.
— angel reese source (@ar5source) May 4, 2026Met Gala 2026 theme, explained
The Met Gala always establishes a theme for the event, and this year's theme was "Costume Art," paired with the museum's exhibition of the same name, and the dress code was listed as, "Fashion is Art."
That's about as open-ended of a theme as possible, so it left the door wide open for creative choices from attendees.
The theme comes from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Costume Art" exhibit, set to open on May 10.
The museum's CEO said in a February press release that the exhibit "will present a dynamic and scholarly conversation between garments from The Costume Institute and an array of artworks from across The Met’s collection, elevating universal and timeless themes while bringing forward new ideas and ways of seeing."
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