There are few things more exciting than a World Cup summer, and as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is well underway, whether you're a fully invested diehard footie fan or what they call a "glory hunter" supporter, the tournament promises a season of fun-fuelled watch parties and excitement.

Football and fashion—despite being two entirely different industries—are inextricably intertwined. Football culture and fandom has its own sense of dress that feels deeply personal to your style and team. And the trends spawned from these two worlds feel fresher and more unique than ever before. Giving credit where credit is due, designers like Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Priya Ahluwalia and Conner Ives have long been inspired by football strips and fan style, pioneering the notion that showing support no longer requires the 'the usual' football fan aesthetic made up of traditional team merch. Personalisation isn't just adding your name to the back of an official England jersey, and your choice isn't limited to a home or away kit. What's more is that these designers have enabled the sport to feel like a more inclusive space.

Vintage football shirts have been a go-to choice for an alternative supporter's style for years, but with searches for "World Cup Shirt" up 840% on Pinterest, the interest feels stronger than ever. Independent labels, often led by female designers, such as Hattie Crowther, Nicole Chui, Sophie Hird Studio and Renata Brenha, are rethinking the traditional football aesthetic, making it feel unique (often their designs are on-off creations) or hyperfeminine. Ironic slogan tees with taglines like "the ref can't hear you babe" and "I just want both teams to have fun" are great for those who love Y2K, or don't want to feel too serious.

Adding to this, many brands now offer 'football inspired' styles that capture the aesthetic without having any ties to a particular club. From Acne Studios to Miaou, Adidas and ASOS, one can show support for their favourite brand as much as their favoured team. Even Harry Styles tour merch adopts this aesthetic. This too allows for a little more self expression: pink! polka dot! personalised! Whatever your flavour, there's likely a footie jersey for you.

How to Style Your Football Shirt?

One question we often get asked is how to style football shirts. My advice, honestly, is to treat it like any other top in your wardrobe, just because it might be visually more impactful than a white tee, doesn't mean you can't treat it as such. Sure you can go simple with jeans and sneakers, but I suggest having fun with it. Lace midi skirts, capris and thong sandals, layered over dresses—take it up a notch! Have fun with it! Go glamorous! Also, look beyond the jersey. Sports shots, be them short and silky like Harry Styles', or longer Bermuda silhouettes, are huge right now. Also with football socks, sports jackets, track pants as well as graphic wool jumpers—there's so much choice beyond the traditional shirt. Be sure to look to beauty and accessories too—scrunchies, scarves, even jewellery, as well as nail art designs, tooth gems. The bottom line is that there's nothing out of bounds, really... Or off pitch, should we say?

So, whether you support England, another team, or are just there to enjoy the vibes, there's so much choice. These are the biggest football fashion trends to know, and the very best items to shop ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Football Fashion Trends to Know

1. The WAG Is Back

Football culture isn't always just about the game and its players, sometimes it's about their wives and girlfriends. The most iconic era of WAG culture has to be in the 2006 World Cup in Baden-Baden, Germany. The main subjects were Coleen Rooney, Cheryl Cole, Abbey Clancy and their queen, Victoria Beckham. They were to the tournament what The Plastics were to Mean Girls. They ruled the tabloids, they caused havoc in the town with their excessive drinking and shopping, and were generally said to be a complete distraction. If you have an obsession with the Y2K era, the OG WAGs will serve as the ultimate inspiration for supporting our boys this summer. Think XXL sunglasses, baby tees and tank tops with ironic slogans, mini skirts and a healthy dose of lipgloss—all of which are just as essential now as they were then.

And, whilst it might be 20 years since this era, we're back with WAGs 2.0. From Tolami Benson, Saka's fiancé, to Gabrielle Figueiredo, the wife of Arsenal and Brazil player Gabriel Magalhães, there are many stylish wives and girlfriends supporting this year who have their own brand partnerships and social following. They might cause less of a stir with the paparazzi, but we're no less obsessed with their style. Follow immediately if you don't already.

2. "Mel C-Core" (Not Blokecore)

"Blokecore" was huge in late 2021-22. Starting on TikTok but developing into a major trend around the the time of the last World Cup, it developed into becoming a broad term for generic football styling, despite it really drawing heavy inspiration from '90s British football fashion. Think back to those famous pictures of the charity football game between Blur and Oasis in '96: it was peak '90s athleisure, streetwear style: retro football jerseys, bucket hats, with club scarves and Stone Island jackets. The problem is with such a gendered term, is that it feels exclusionary for women, not to mention people of colour. Who What Wear UK senior fashion and beauty editor for branded content, Felicia Pennant, makes an excellent suggested revisal of the phrase—"for me, as a woman looking at that era, it's Mel C-core. She was the defining image of female football fandom in the '90s. And what's interesting is the evolution of that: back then on the playground, nobody wanted to be Sporty Spice, now she's the one that everyone emulates." So, if you too want to wear your oversized footie jerseys, scarves and sports jackets with your athletic capris and sneakers, just remember who you're really inspired by.

3. "Femme Footale"

Upcyling and personalising old and vintage football shirts has long been a trend, but lately I've noticed brands taking these traditionally 'masculine' garments, and making them ultra pretty and 'feminine'. Conner Ives' elasticated jerseys allow them to stretch and be completely fitted to the body, other more independent brands like Dilemma have added lingerie and corsetry. No more boxy, oversized silhouettes here! Look to sequin and beaded embellishments as well as fringing at cult label Cossa New York, lace sleeves at HoodBabyLA and bows, toggles, eyelets and ruffles from UK-based Hairy Mary. Don't be fooled into thinking official strips are the only way, there's a world of cute cuts and fabulously silly, frilly footie styles that despite being inspired by the original men's shirts, they couldn't be further from them.

4. Cool Collaborations

Wearing a piece from a designer sportswear collaboration is perhaps the best signifier of those in the know. Streetwear labels like Palace and Stüssy have long collaborated with sportswear brands on exclusive shirts, Martine Rose has her iconic Shox trainers with Nike, and Grace Wales Bonner's adidas collections and Sambas are some of the most sought after athleisure garments in the game. But in 2026, there's even more. Miaou x adidas, Puma x Ahluwalia, Slawn x Nike, Umbro by Slam Jam as well as Umbro x Aries—the options are truly endless!

5. More Than A Football Shirt

Shorts! Socks! Sports jackets! Please note: there's so much more out there than football jerseys. Venture beyond your usual tee and include tank tops, reworked dresses, sport shorts as well as accessories such as bucket hats, bandanas, sport socks and jewellery. Even with footwear, there are hybrids that go beyond the sneakerina. Look to Kaiia's heeled football mule—what a serve!

What Are the Important Facts to Know About the World Cup?

First of all, it's not just in the USA, but Canada and Mexico too, making it more of a North America tour. This means multiple timezones, which can be tricky to track across the pond. Be sure to do your research and be prepared to stay up late to watch certain games. It's also the biggest tournament FIFA have produced, with a whopping 48 teams in the initial knock-out stages, and 104 games. Players we're excited to see return in the England squad are Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and of course, captain Harry Kane, all of which were the highest goal scorers in the World Cup 2022.
If you're wondering on who the favourites to win are, many have their money on France. After their loss in the 2022 final to Argentina, they'll be hungry to take the title this time, plus the nation's main capital team PSG (Paris Saint Germain) just won the Champions League a few weeks ago. Elsewhere in Europe, Spain and Portugal are firm favourites, with a stellar team lineup. Brazil, Germany and Argentina are always a good bet too, but their team isn't as strong as it's been in the past. Naturally, I want to shout out England, whilst they're not the bookies favourite, you never know—could this be the year the Three Lions bring it home? Let's see.

Nestled in between the major fashion month shows in February and September, Milan Men's Fashion Week—which takes place in June every year—has attracted Italy's best-dressed in droves to the Italian city this week. With a runway itinerary that includes the likes of JW Anderson, Prada, Gucci and Valentino, the Italian fashion set arrived dressed to the nines for the elegant occasion.

Styling emerging trends and faithful classics, attendees adapted to the hot Italian climate, keeping their excellent style reputation in tact. From surprising new trends to old favourites that endure for good reason, read on to discover my favourite street style trends from the Milan Men's Fashion Week 2024.

4 MAJOR STREET STYLE TRENDS TO COME OUT OF MILAN MEN'S FASHION WEEK 2024

1. PALE BLUE

Style Notes: This summery shade has been everywhere this season, and for good reason. Adding a fresh and spirited energy to your day-to-day styling, this pretty colour trend was spotted all over Milan's streets this week. Whilst the colour always looks chic with similarly pale tones, it also looks elegant when paired with richer brown or burgundy shades that can anchor the light tone and create a dynamic ensemble.

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2. EMBELLISHED HEMLINES

Style Notes: The easiest way to ensure your outfit always feels elegant, a dramatic hemline will add a flamboyant touch to your look in the most wearable way.

SHOP THE EMBELLISHED HEMLINE TREND

3. LONG DENIM SHORTS

Style Notes: All across Europe, the long denim shorts trend is taking off, and naturally the Italians are leading the way. Wearing theirs with everything from playful tees to structured layers, the long shorts trend is proving to be one of the most versatile out there.

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4. SPORTS-CORE

Style Notes: Just in time for the Euros kick off, the sports-core trend was a major player this week in Milan, and the Italian crowd embraced it in every form. From baggy football shirts to roomy hocky jerseys and classic Argyls socks, no sporty style was left behind. Comfortable enough to jaunt from show-to-show, but interesting enough to match the fashion week energy, this sporty trend is one that you're bound to catch all over London's streets this season, too.

SHOP THE SPORTS-CORE TREND HERE:

ICYMI, (and honestly if you have missed it, dare I ask, how?) the women's football World Cup tournament is well under way in Australia. Since the team's win at the Euros last year, there's actually a fragment of hope that England may progress quite far this time too (win, even!), meaning this is quite possibly the most excited we've collectively been over any sporting event, ever. 

But support for the women's team isn't just turning up to the pub on game day and cheering on as if we understand the off-side rule (I actually do know the off-side rule, just FYI), it's wearing your football shirt with pride as many times as possible, during and beyond the tournament itself.

Anyone with even a remote interest in fashion will tell you about the rising popularity of #Blokecore and "Soccer Girl" aesthetics trending on TikTok and beyond, which seem to be a different take on sporty fashion after years of hype over athleisure and streetwear. Perhaps a little more niche, but the spike in interest around football fashion specifically—whether it's because of the rising popularity of women's football, or not—is undeniable.

Drenched in nostalgia, searches for retro football shirts have peaked dramatically on the likes of Depop, and brands such as Prada, Adidas, Balenciaga and Martine Rose are adopting football culture and style into their collections. But before I bore you into oblivion about the history and nuances of football fashion, or break out into a passionate chant of "It's coming home", let me share with you four ways myself and our affiliates manager Jerrylyn Saguiped have styled our Home and Away shirts. 

1. KILT + LOAFERS

Style Notes: Kicking us off, we have the kilt. Jerrylyn and I actually both own kilts, and we fought over who would get to wear theirs for this shoot. As you can see, I lost. From the ever-popular Chopova Lowena tartan iteration to pleated minis in black, the mini kilt is having a moment, and it's the perfect short-skirt companion to your shirt. Pair with penny loafers and socks (preferably white) and a baguette bag to highlight the Y2K-ness of it all, and you're good to go. 

2. STATEMENT SILVER 

Style Notes: The most obvious way to style a football shirt is, unsurprisingly, with football shorts. But to elevate your shorts-and-shirt combo from pitch to pub, swap them out for jorts, or better yet, a statement pair like these silver ones, which are summer's answer for anyone obsessed with silver trousers this year. Metallics aside, when it comes to shorts—be they tailored styles, denim or nylon—a slightly longer length is what I'm after right now. So bid adieu to the hot pants this year, and say hello to balloon and Bermuda silhouettes. 

3. DENIM MIDI SKIRT + AIR MAX 

Style Notes: Denim midi and maxi skirts have had as much love as the aforementioned silver trousers over the last few seasons, for which we have Y2K and Gen Z to thank. Ramp up the noughties nostalgia with a pair of kitten-heel slingbacks, or if you want to remain more casual, the Air Max 95 in neon is the sneaker of choice. 

4. DAD JEANS + VOMERO SNEAKERS

Style Notes: I've called these dad jeans, but rest assured, they are in fact mine. What I mean is they're big, they're baggy and they're bleached—exactly as my dad wore them with his Newcastle United shirt back in '95. Along with my Nike Vomero trainers (which, between us, I think are the new New Balance 530s), this is dadcore at its finest. 

Up next? The easy items that are sure to elevate your office wardrobe.

If there's one pair of sneakers I can't seem to shake, it's the New Balance 550s. Throughout the year my saved folder has been brimming with influencers, editors and celebrities wearing them all different ways, showcasing their various colour-ways and collaborations. Notoriously selling out faster than you can say "hypebeast", these retro-inspired trainers are almost as difficult to get as Glastonbury tickets, and are fetching double their RRP on resale sites.

So when we recently discovered them online in stock in *most* sizes, we knew it was information we had to divulge. Whilst the all-white ones have been completely sold out for a while, a few that have just come into stock on Urban Outfitters, and our favourite burgundy and navy style hue is almost fully stocked on Arket.

Whilst others may prefer the New Balance 327s, I love the nostalgia of the 550s. Inspired by 90s basketball, they're the pinnacle of streetwear style and the epitome of athleisure–so wearing with sweats is actively encouraged. Of course, you could also style them up for the office like Francesca Saffari by wearing them with wide leg tailored trousers, or create an off-duty look by pairing them with your favourite denim. However you choose to wear them is up to you, just don't delay adding them to your basket. 

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Next up: the SS23 trends to invest in.