Best and worst 2026 Met Gala outfits from the sports world including Joe Burrow Alysa Liu and Angel Rees

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. MORE: 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 dre s 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 Jacob B. (@JacobB198) Her sister, Serena, went bolder with a shorter, shinier dre s. Serena Williams strikes a pose on the red carpet. Variety (@Variety) Joe 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 NFL (@NFL) Naomi 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 dre s. Naomi Osaka unveiled another outfit on the red carpet Which look do you like better? Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) Paige 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. Rookie of the Year Rookie of Willie O'ree Jersey the MET Paige Bueckers captivates for the 2026 Met Gala! WNBA (@WNBA) Alysa 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 impre sive red dre s that fit the Met Gala's theme. Alysa Liu at the . Pop Crave (@PopCrave) Justin 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. Justin Jefferson looking dapper as he heads to the Met Gala : Andy Kropa/AP NFL (@NFL) Dwyane 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 RapTV (@Rap) A'ja Wilson WNBA superstar A'ja Wilson wore a shimmering gold dre s to the Met Gala. A'JA WILSON : Matt Winkelmeyer/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue espnW (@espnW) Ru sell Wilson NFL QB Ru sell 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 Ru sell Wilson on the carpet. Variety (@Variety) Angel Reese WNBA star Angel Reese has become a regular at the Met Gala. While her long, pink dre s could be mistaken for bed sheets, the look was well-received on social media. | Angel Reese arriving at the Met Gala [via Vogue yt] angel reese source (@ar5source) Met 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 dre s code was listed as, "Fashion is Art." That's about as open-ended of a theme as po sible, 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 that the exhibit "will present a dynamic and scholarly conversation between garments from The Costume Institute and an array of artworks from acro s The Mets collection, elevating universal and timele s themes while bringing forward new ideas and ways of seeing." Jeremy Swayman Jersey