Luxury fashion is stepping on to football’s biggest stage. As teams prepare for the Fifa World Cup 2026, fashion houses and sportswear giants are racing to secure cultural relevance through collaborations blending luxury, streetwear and sport.
The World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. A record 48 teams will compete across 104 matches, generating one of the largest audiences in sporting history.
Among the latest fashion announcements is that Spanish luxury house Loewe will dress Spain’s national teams off the pitch.
“Loewe is now the official partner for Spain’s national football teams,” the company said in a statement. “Under the creative direction of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Loewe will dress the Spanish teams beyond the pitch for tournaments around the world.”
The look is understated luxury: a bright blue polo shirt layered beneath a roomy single-breasted navy jacket and wide-cut trousers. Spain’s emblem is embroidered on the jacket breast, while Loewe’s terracotta logo sits discreetly on the cuff. Patent black lace-up shoes complete the outfit.
Nike unveils collaborations
Nike, meanwhile, has unveiled a series of collaborations across multiple national teams. England’s off-pitch wardrobe comes via Nike and Palace Skateboards. The collection includes a varsity jacket bearing the Three Lions emblem and Palace branding across the front. The accompanying football shirt features Saint George slaying a dragon, while the campaign film stars former England footballer Wayne Rooney in an Elizabethan ruff reciting Shakespeare.
France’s prematch jersey is the result of a collaboration between Nike and Jacquemus. Referencing the national team’s nickname, Les Bleus, the shirt remains entirely blue, punctuated with white chalk stripes. The Nike swoosh sits opposite the French cockerel emblem and flag detailing. Unusually, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus has also personally fronted the campaign, posting images of himself wearing the shirt.
South Korea’s collaboration sees Nike partner with Peaceminusone, the label founded by K-pop star G-Dragon. The collection includes a black prematch T-shirt featuring the brand’s signature daisy motif, with petals tipped in red and blue in homage to the Taegukgi, South Korea’s national flag.
Elsewhere, Nike has collaborated with the Virgil Abloh Archive on the Nike Cryoshot for the World Cup. Aimed more at supporters than players, the design incorporates Abloh’s signature red zip tie and quotation-mark typography. Additional pieces are rumoured to be in development.
Rapper Travis Scott has also joined the tournament’s fashion ecosystem through Nike, designing a bronze World Cup football under his Cactus Jack label, alongside lime-green Cactus Jack x Nike Phantom 6 Low Elite boots.
Why fashion brands are chasing football
Major sporting tournaments increasingly serve as global shop windows for fashion brands seeking new audiences while maintaining cultural relevance.
Football remains the world’s most watched sport, with an estimated 3.5 billion fans globally. The Qatar World Cup in 2022 drew more than five billion viewers, while six billion are expected to tune in to this summer’s tournament.
Luxury houses have increasingly expanded their presence in major sporting events, from the recent Olympic Games in Paris and Milan to Formula One and tennis. Dressing national teams has become a powerful branding opportunity – offering visibility not just to athletes, but to millions watching around the world.
With the World Cup still weeks away, more fashion-sport tie-ups are likely to emerge before kick-off.
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