Aitana Bonmatí Makes Ballon d’Or History; Ousmane Dembélé Claims Men's Award

Aitana Bonmatí won her third consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin Monday night in Paris, solidifying her dominance in women’s football for both Barcelona and Spain. At 27, she joins legends Lionel Messi and Michel Platini as the only players to win soccer’s highest honor three years in a row. This season, she helped Barcelona secure the Spanish league title, the Copa de la Reina, and the Supercopa de España. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé claimed the men’s Ballon d’Or after leading PSG to a historic continental treble last season, becoming the first French team to achieve this feat. He edged out Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal, who finished as runner-up.

NikeSKIMS unveiled its inaugural collection on Monday, introducing performance and lifestyle products that include 58 styles that can be worn more than 10,000 ways. For the launch, Nike and SKIMS called on the likes of Serena Williams, Jordan Chiles, Nelly Korda, and more to star in a campaign film directed by Janicza Bravo. Pieces include tanks, leggings, shorts, and even a gym bag. The full line drops Sept. 26 on both brands’ websites and select retail locations.

Beverage giant AB InBev announced a global partnership with Netflix on Monday, coming together to create shared experiences in sports, food, music, and comedy. The deal will see AB InBev brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Corona, tied to popular Netflix programs such as The Gentlemen, Brasil 70, and Culinary Class Wars, with activations and special packaging for product releases. The collab also extends to live events, including ads during the upcoming Netflix Christmas Day game and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Bad Bunny‘s 31-show residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, concluded with a historic feat. Called Una Más, the live-streamed finale event on Saturday set new viewership records on Amazon Music for a single-artist performance on the platform. This is only the beginning for Bad Bunny and Amazon, as the two sides are locked into a multi-year deal that focuses on supporting Puerto Rico’s development in tech, education, agriculture, and the economy through the singer’s Good Bunny Foundation.

Tech firm Nvidia confirmed Tuesday that it plans to invest $100 billion in OpenAI to help build advanced data centers and AI infrastructure. The funding will support multiple facilities with 10 gigawatts of computing functions, powered by Nvidia’s AI chips. In return, Nvidia will receive equity in OpenAI, with investment rolling out in stages, beginning with $10 billion tied to the first gigawatt of capacity.

Due to “personal reasons,” The Weeknd will no longer be performing at Saturday’s Global Citizen Festival. In his place, organizers announced Monday that Cardi B will take the stage as headliner alongside Shakira. Other confirmed performances include Tyla, Ayra Starr, and Mariah the Scientist. Hosted by Hugh Jackman, the event will stream live worldwide from the Great Lawn in Central Park.

The first Dior restaurant in the United States is set to open its doors this fall in Los Angeles. Called Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn, it’s located in the luxury house’s new flagship on Rodeo Drive. The 105-seat space also marks the LA debut for Dominique Crenn, the first American woman chef to earn three Michelin stars. The restaurant boasts indoor and outdoor seating along with a lounge, bar, and terrace.

As preparations ramp up for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, USA Basketball announced Monday the hiring of Kara Lawson as head coach of the women’s national team. Currently leading the Duke women’s basketball program, Lawson won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a player and again as an assistant coach at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Games. Lawson also coached the 3×3 USA women’s team to gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Sports thriller Him opened below projections at $13.5 million, landing in second place in the weekend box office. Another new release, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, also underperformed significantly, opening in sixth place with just $3.5 million. Meanwhile, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle maintained its No. 1 spot with $17.3 million over the weekend, pushing its official global gross to over $550 million.

Following a successful debut earlier this year, SXSW London will return for its second edition from June 1-4, 2026, in East London. Organizers have opened submissions for proposals across three main areas: conference, music, and screen. Submissions for the conference program close on Dec. 7, with public voting beginning Dec. 8. Submissions for film and screen close on Nov. 21 and Dec. 31, respectively.

Image: Courtesy Images