Is the 2026 World Cup the Most Stylish in History?
2 min readAfter a month of matches spanning three countries, the 2026 World Cup is down to its final act. On Sunday, Spain and Argentina will battle for the trophy—but off the pitch, the tournament has delivered a championship-worthy lineup of fashion moments, too.
At just 19, Spain’s Lamine Yamal has been one of the World Cup’s biggest breakout stars. His style has proved just as headline-making. The winger has dressed up his team’s gear—slouchy burgundy track pants and a zip-up España jacket by Adidas—with an enviable selection of handbags. For the semifinals against France, Yamal toted a bubblegum pink Bottega Veneta vanity case in one hand and the brand’s “Bang Bang” intrecciato crossbody slung over his shoulder as he entered the stadium.
Blazy-mania has taken hold of the player, too, with the Chanel designer’s celebrity-favorite maxi flap bag anchoring his accessory rotation. To start the World Cup, he went the extra mile in a head-to-toe Blazy for Chanel look, tweed suit jacket and all.
Lamine Yamal arrives before the semi final match against France.
Lamine Yamal arrives at the Round of 16 match against Portugal.
Every team has its fashion MVP: a brand from its respective country that is an extension of its visual identity. For Spain, it’s Loewe.
After signing a multiyear partnership with the national team ahead of the World Cup, the Spanish house has become synonymous with the squad’s arrival style. Its cult-favorite Amazona bag—also carried by Sarah Pidgeon and Julia Garner—has emerged as the unofficial pre-match tote for players like Nico Williams and Pedri.
Nico Williams carries Loewe’s Amazona bag as he arrives before the semi final match against France.
Even the World Cup itself comes with a fashion flourish. The trophy will be presented in a custom Louis Vuitton monogram case featuring two golden V’s—one for “Victory,” the other for “Vuitton”—created in the maison’s historic Asnières-sur-Seine workshop.
The brand’s duffles, which proved a practical choice for athletes shuttling between cities, have been a tournament mainstay, especially Pharrell Williams’s reimagined takes on the house’s iconic Keepall.
Louis Vuitton’s bespoke Trophy Trunk.
Heartthrob Jude Bellingham has given the Keepall plenty of playing time, making it his go-to companion as England crisscrossed North America.
On Saturday, Bellingham and his teammates will face off against France in the third-place match, with Kylian Mbappé leading the charge for Les Bleus. The Frenchman has been flying the flag for another Parisian institution: Dior.
Kylian Mbappé arrives at the French football federation’s raining ground.
Jude Bellingham boards a flight ahead of England’s Group L match against Croatia.
And while Norway’s Erling Haaland’s World Cup run ended in the quarterfinals, his fashion game won over the internet.
Returning home, the striker stepped off the plane carrying a just-debuted Dolce & Gabbana croc-embossed tote from the men’s spring/summer 2027 show and, naturally, a taxidermied raccoon. (Apparently, the souvenir is a $750 “Whiskey Raccoon” from Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, where Norway played its round-of-32 match.)
Erling Haaland lands at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport on July 13.
In every sport, fashion has long been a way to signal identity beyond the game. But the 2026 World Cup turned the players’ tunnel into a bona fide runway—just look at the parade of It bags alone.
The game, simply, has never looked better.
