3 Players Breaking The Stigma Of The Poorly Dressed Footballer

The adage has always been that footballers can’t dress, and to be honest, the saying has always been spot on.

Footballers are notorious for their horrible style, bar a select few. All it takes is watching them swarm out the team bus drenched in ill-fitting Amiri, or full-look Gucci fits to confirm what we have always known – money does not buy good style. Furthermore, too much money will have you looking like Philip Plein styled you. 

Not since Beckham (even though he had some questionable fits) have we seen a professional footballer who has style on the pitch and can hang with the best of them off the pitch. However, a new generation of players are breaking the stigma of the poorly dressed footballers with boundary-breaking styles. Luxury fashion houses are taking notice, and now more than ever, footballers, not actors, are the go-to cultural figures for a brand that wants to build cache with a new generation of shoppers.  

As the worlds of fashion and football continue to overlap – it’s too tempting for athletes to not fall into the monogrammed trap of dressing like fashion tourists. With football having a global resonance and reach bigger than any other sport (there are over five-billion football fans around the world according to FIFA), footballers are now leading the charge as a source of style inspiration. 

While there are a plethora of footballers trying their hand at luxury fashion, there’s only a select few that possess enough panache to have the fashionistas giving them their just dues when it comes to style. So who are these footballers? 

Hector Bellerin

The Spanish right-back comes to mind first when thinking of a new generation of football stars. A controversial figure in the overlapping worlds of football and fashion, Bellerin is arguably the most stylish footballer out there. Hector’s style is a mix of luxury and streetwear, but more considered – like when he wore a Burberry trench, patterned scarf, a bright coloured beanie and skinny ‘Neo from the Matrix’ glasses while injured on the Arsenal bench. The in-house model for Arsenal FC, Bellerin walked at Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton SS20 show at Paris Fashion Week, taking to the runway in a full pink look. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The Everton striker caused a stir when he appeared on the cover of Homme + Magazine, dressed in a white polka dot shirt, black tie and blazer, flared suit shorts, white socks and shiny black loafers. Clearly fearless with a personal style that can only be described as unexpected, Dominic is in a rare class of professional footballers that can hold their own, style-wise. Swapping out his studs for tasteful Prada and Gucci looks, Calvert-Lewin is David Bowie’esque, with a knack for boundary-pushing styles.

Marcus Rashford

The Prime Minister of the ends, while Marcus Rashford’s philanthropic initiatives have won him the hearts of supporters across the UK and globally, the Manchester United star has also managed to carve out his own lane when it comes to luxury fashion. A powerhouse in his own right, Rashford and British luxury house Burberry have formed a relationship that has seen the sports star become one of its high profile ambassadors. Accepting his MBE in a suit designed exclusively for him by Burberry Creative Director Riccardo Tisci, Rashford’s place in the fashion space is definitely on the rise, even modelling Virgil Abloh’s Nike x Off-White World Cup capsule.

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