There was a time when an athletes biggest fashion statement was probably what boots they wore.
Now we're analysing what they wear before they even get to the stadium.
Pre-Game Fits, International Duty Arrivals, Post Game flicks..
Footballers have become some of the most visible style references in menswear. Not necessarily because every player is trying to be a fashion icon, but because football has become one of the biggest stages for personal style.
FOOTBALLERS HAVE BECOME BRANDS
There was a time when being a footballer was pretty straightforward. You played football, represented your club, maybe had a boot deal and appeared in the occasional advert. Now, the footballer is the brand.
And this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The biggest players have become personalities beyond the ninety minutes. What they wear, where they go, who they work with, what they post and even what they carry can become part of the wider image they have built for themselves. David Beckham probably laid much of the groundwork for this generation, proving that a footballer could become just as recognisable for his life away from the pitch as he was for what he did on it.
Social media has only accelerated it. We don't just see a player on matchday anymore. We see them arriving at training, getting off a plane, going to dinner, attending Fashion Week or posting what they're wearing. The footballer doesn't disappear when the final whistle goes. If anything, that's when another part of their brand starts.
And fashion has naturally become part of that. Players are working with fashion houses, appearing in campaigns, attending shows and, in some cases, becoming genuine figures within the fashion world. Declan Rice has walked for Labrum London, Eberechi Eze has appeared in Boss campaigns and Kylian Mbappé has become central to On's move into football.
But I think the most interesting part is that you don't need to be a global superstar for this to work anymore. A player can have a particular way of dressing, a certain haircut, a favourite brand or even a signature accessory, and suddenly that's what people associate with them. We've gone from watching footballers and admiring the footballer to following the person.
And that's a big reason why their influence on streetwear feels so much bigger now. They're no longer simply wearing the clothes. They're building an identity around them. The outfit becomes another piece of the story, and because we're following the person as much as the player, we're paying attention to it.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT EXPENSIVE CLOTHES
When we talk about footballers and fashion, it can be easy to reduce the conversation to designer clothes, £1,000 trainers and the latest tunnel fit. And yes, there is plenty of that. But I don't think that's where the real influence comes from. Footballers have always been good at making relatively simple pieces feel like part of a complete look. A tracksuit, a pair of trainers, a football shirt, a cap, a good jacket — none of these things are particularly revolutionary on their own. It's the way they're put together that makes you take notice.
Think about it. You don't necessarily see a footballer in an outfit and think, I need every single thing he's wearing. More often, you see the combination and take something from it. Maybe it's the way he's wearing his trousers, the trainers he's paired with a jacket, the fit of an oversized hoodie or even something as simple as throwing a shirt over a tee. That's where football's influence on streetwear becomes interesting. It isn't always about copying the player. It's about taking something from their style and making it your own.
Of course, the access to expensive clothes helps. A footballer can introduce people to a brand that they might never have come across otherwise, and the modern tunnel fit has made that relationship between football, luxury and streetwear even more visible. But style has never really been about how much something costs. A player wearing a £2,000 jacket might catch your eye, but it's the player who can make a £70 tracksuit look good that might actually change what you wear.
And perhaps that's why footballers have such a natural influence over streetwear. They're not standing on a runway telling us what to wear. They're wearing clothes in the same world we're living in — just with a little more access, a little more attention and, in some cases, a very good stylist. The rest of us are simply taking notes.
FOOTBALL HAS ALWAYS HAD STYLE
You can see it in the way certain players play the game. There have always been those who treated the pitch like a stage — Ronaldinho, Nani, Jay-Jay Okocha and the countless players who made a nutmeg, a flick or an unnecessary bit of skill feel like part of the entertainment. Their style was expressive. You knew when you were watching them.
But style in football has never only belonged to the flashy players. There is something equally recognisable about the players who are more purposeful in the way they play — the ones who keep things simple, make the right decision, win the ball, move it on and get the job done. Their style comes from efficiency rather than extravagance.
And I think that same distinction has always existed off the pitch.
Some footballers have always dressed with the same sense of expression that they brought to the game. Others have kept things simple, practical and understated. Either way, what they wore became another extension of who they were as players.
That's what makes the relationship between football and style so interesting. A footballer's style has never really started when they walk through the tunnel. It has always been there — in how they move, how they play, how they carry themselves and, eventually, how they dress.
The Final Whistle.
Footballers becoming style influences doesn’t feel like a sudden shift when you look at the bigger picture.
The game has always had its own sense of expression, from the way players played to the way supporters dressed and the brands that became part of football culture. What’s changed is the visibility. The tunnel, the airport, Instagram, TikTok — every step away from the pitch is now another opportunity to see how a player expresses themselves.
And when you consider how much of streetwear is built around identity, culture and individuality, perhaps footballers becoming some of its biggest style influences was never really that surprising.
The beautiful game has always had style. We’re just watching it a little more closely now.
