Sunday August 30, 2026, at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, the cameras coming to follow Real Madrid – Málaga captured a beauty detail which made the rounds on the networks. In the middle of Kylian Mbappé’s series of goals, a very high bun, with 2000s accents. In the images from the stands, worn by a 26-year-old Spanish actress (who came to encourage the striker), the hairstyle contrasted with the announced return of the ballerina bun. Behind this noticed Y2K look was… Ester Expósito.
Sitting a few rows from the field, Ester Expósito displayed a Vivienne Westwood bag, baggy jeans and Y2K bun perched on the top of the head. Who almost stole the show from Kylian Mbappé! According to Marie Claire, the few seconds where we see the actress between two celebratory shots were enough to relaunch the trend of Y2K hairstyles, version 2026. Opposite, Vogue France describes for this same school year the return of the ballet bun, this ballerina’s bun plastered with gel and hairspray. The contrast between these two readings of the bun clearly describes the hair turning point of the moment.
Why Ester Expósito’s Y2K bun is seductive in 2026
The 2000s bun worn by Ester Expósito strikes a precise balance. The hair is pulled into a very high bun, the temples smoothed flat to clear the face. A long strand on the side brings the 2000s effect and breaks up the overly demure side. At the back, small twists let a few strands stick out at the nape of the neck to keep a relaxed look.
This mix of control and freedom contrasts with the ballet bun described by Vogue France, where the lengths are flattened and each strand fixed with hairspray. Where the ballerina bun remains very disciplined, Ester Expósito’s Y2K bun introduces movement while remaining easy to wear in the stands. With the Vivienne Westwood bag and the baggy jeans, it brings the look into 2000 nostalgia without the disguise effect.
From the clean girl bun to the confident return of the Y2K bun
The perfectly flat bun has become the symbol of the clean girl. To the point that its repetition ended up getting boring. Marie Claire explains that Ester Expósito prefers a more 2000s version, where the lock on the side structures the face. And where the visible points bring something more playful. This shift modernizes Y2K nostalgia and adapts it to 2026.
The context also matters: these images were shot on a Sunday match evening, August 30, 2026, in a stadium in Madrid. The stand plans are quickly found on X and TikTok, and this hairstyle detail goes viral in a few hours.
How to recreate Ester Expósito’s Y2K bun at home
To recreate this hairstyle, Marie Claire advises:
- First smooth the temples with gel using a fine boar bristle brush;
- Then tie a very high ponytail at the top of the head;
- Then simply form small twists with several strands, leave a few lengths free at the back and secure everything with a veil of hairspray.