From Haaland’s rare Hermès to Ronaldo’s Gucci: FIFA World Cup arrivals are nothing short of a fashion runway

Before a ball is kicked, another contest is already playing out at the FIFA World Cup.

At airports, on tarmacs and outside team hotels, some of football’s biggest stars are arriving with Hermès Birkins, Chanel totes, Louis Vuitton Keepalls and rare collector pieces worth thousands of pounds. The journey to the tournament has unexpectedly become a global menswear runway, where every airport arrival is photographed and every bag can become a fashion moment.

The old footballer travel uniform, a tracksuit, headphones and perhaps a small wash bag, is disappearing. In its place are enormous Hermès Haut à Courroies bags, vivid Chanel creations, colourful Louis Vuitton holdalls and some of the rarest luxury accessories money can buy.

Erling Haaland arrived with an ultra-rare Hermès “Endless Road” HAC 50. Cristiano Ronaldo kept things classic with Gucci. Marcus Thuram carried an oversized jade-green Chanel x Pharrell flap bag. Neymar went bright with a canary-yellow Louis Vuitton Keepall, while David Alaba turned up with a rare Hermès Multi-Pocket HAC 50 valued at close to £37,000.

The result is a tournament where the arrivals are increasingly becoming a spectacle of their own.

Football’s airport arrivals are the new front row

The trend is not entirely new. David Beckham has long travelled with an enviable collection of Louis Vuitton bags, while footballers have always used watches, trainers and tailoring to signal personal style.

But the scale has changed.

This World Cup has seen players across national teams carrying pieces once more closely associated with fashion collectors, celebrities and auction houses. Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Dior and Burberry have all appeared in the hands of footballers on their way to the tournament.

And unlike a traditional runway, there is no stylistic uniform.

Some players have gone loud. Others have opted for quiet luxury. Some are carrying bags almost as large as their torsos; others have picked compact pouches. But together, they point to a bigger shift: the luxury handbag is no longer an unusual sight in elite men’s sport.

Erling Haaland brings collector-level Hermès to the World Cup

If one player has become the face of football’s luxury-bag moment, it is Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian striker arrived with the Hermès Haut à Courroies 50 “Endless Road”, a rare piece decorated with a landscape of geometric mountains and winding roads crafted through intricate leather marquetry.

But this was hardly a one-off.

Haaland has been seen with moss-coloured canvas HACs, a black-and-orange checkerboard version and several other Hermès pieces. At one point, he was even spotted carrying his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen’s Birkin 25 inside his own HAC 50.

Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton join the dressing room

Haaland may be the headline collector, but the World Cup runway extends deep into football’s biggest dressing rooms.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived with Gucci’s calfskin leather duffle, predominantly black and finished with the house’s archival Web stripe.

Marcus Thuram made a considerably louder entrance with a jade-green Chanel x Pharrell XXL flap bag from the fashion house’s 2019 capsule collection. Made from lambskin and finished with diamond quilting and graffiti-inspired details, it was one of the most distinctive bags seen at the tournament.

Neymar Jr carried a £5,400 canary-yellow Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière with a dinosaur charm attached, while Kylian Mbappé chose the more compact £1,200 Dior A5 Triangle Pouch.

Lamine Yamal went a step further, pairing a £6,690 Chanel Shopping Bag with a matching textured jacket, turning his airport appearance into a coordinated fashion statement.

The Birkin is no longer just fashion-week territory

Perhaps the clearest sign of change is the sheer number of footballers carrying Hermès.

David Alaba arrived with a black HAC 50 Multi-Pocket perched on a Rimowa suitcase. Ollie Watkins chose a sandy-beige HAC 50 reportedly worth close to £40,000. Virgil van Dijk has been seen with a putty-grey version, while Lionel Messi owns a cargo-style HAC 40.

Rayan Cherki carried an oversized Hermès Maxi Kelly 42, while Ousmane Dembélé opted for a black Togo leather HAC 50.

These are no longer isolated appearances. The Hermès HAC has emerged as something close to football’s unofficial luxury travel uniform.

A bigger shift in men’s fashion

The bags have also reopened an old debate about who is supposedly allowed to carry what.

Some social media users questioned Haaland’s masculinity for carrying handbags, while others celebrated the striker’s willingness to wear whatever he liked.

However, there is also a historical irony in treating the Hermès HAC as an inherently feminine object. The bag was created in the late 19th century to carry equestrian equipment, long before Hermès began producing handbags specifically marketed to women.

The World Cup has a new sideshow

Football remains the main event, of course. Goals, rivalries and trophies will determine how the tournament is remembered.

But before players reach the pitch, their arrivals are now producing a spectacle of their own.

The airport has become the catwalk. The team bus is the backstage entrance. And in the hands of Haaland, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Neymar and their peers, the humble footballer travel bag has evolved into something considerably more extravagant.

At this World Cup, it is no longer just about who has the best squad.

There is also the question of who brought the best bag.