Le Grand Tournoi du Ballon : Events : Soccer Bible

A diverse coming together of creative good-ness, a break between the regular league season meant the powers at Le Ballon were able to put a bespoke tournament together that took place at the tail end of October. We give you 'Le Grand Tournoi du Ballon'.

A total of 16 teams were invited to take part in this one-off party played out on the pitch. Beautifully captured, the grain is good and this tournament kept up the prosperous standards in which Le Ballon lives in. Pure football in popping kits with people who like to party. What's not to like?

We caught up with Jack Whelan, one of the guys behind the league and the tournament to get his take on proceedings. "Two tournaments, one male and one female were put on for people of all ages and from all walks of life. [We at] Le Ballon, who look to celebrate the oft-overlooked creative side of the independent football world, invited people from the likes of Dior, Condé-Nast, colette, YARD, Adidas and beyond to create their own teams complete with logos and kit-design to do battle in Aubervilliers. The event was soundtracked and broadcast live on FM and online by the coolest DJ’s in town on Rinse France, while PaperBoy Paris provided the food and drink (as well as their own team - “Young Boys of Paris”)."



"This celebration of football and it’s diverse cultures remained, nonetheless, a tournament and there must always be winners and losers. On the men’s side, Bled FC (a troupe of South-East Asian and African graphic designers and artists), which literally means ‘Homeland FC’ in Arabic, took home the hand-made trophy created by Atelier Veneer, while on the ladies’ side, Kidnap Club (a collective that put together gay/lesbian soirées in Paris) got their hands on the prize."

Photography by Wendy Huynh.