Streetwear and crop tops take World Cup fashion to new heights
Streetwear and Crop Tops Take World Cup Fashion to New Heights
A Shift Toward Streetwear-Inspired Styles
The unveiling of new jerseys during the World Cup is always a major event. This year, the campaigns from Adidas and Nike have broken from past trends, prioritizing streetwear-inspired designs over traditional football attire like shorts, socks, and boots. These collections reflect the growing influence of football culture in everyday fashion, fusing retro classics with modern urban trends.
Nike’s World Cup home shirts were introduced with a cinematic video featuring star players such as Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, and Cole Palmer. The footage showcased them in outfits that included cargo pants, jeans, and sneakers, giving fans a glimpse of how to style the kits for personal use. Adidas took a more experimental approach, unveiling its away shirts in Los Angeles. Models wore flared trousers, faded denim, and micro-shorts alongside the kits, with celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Damson Idris in attendance.
“It’s a way of showing fans how to bring the kits into their own life,” stated Adidas Football’s global manager. The brand’s efforts highlight the shift toward making sportswear more relatable and expressive.
Historical Roots and Modern Evolution
Streetwear’s integration into football fashion traces back to the UK’s casual subculture of the 1970s. At the time, fans opted for a more relaxed look, swapping team colors for everyday pieces like polo shirts, denim jackets, or flared trousers from brands including Adidas, Fila, and Lacoste. Over time, these styles moved beyond the pitch, becoming mainstream in the fashion world.
Adidas has embraced this legacy with its £80 Britcore Jersey, a 90s-inspired piece designed for layering or making a statement at weekend events. Meanwhile, Nike’s Jordan and Brazil collaboration features a “field-ready style, remixed for the streets” goalie top priced at £79.99. Both brands signal a broader trend of blurring lines between sportswear and streetwear in North America, where the World Cup will take place in 2026.
Breaking Boundaries and Expanding Fandom
Some brands have pushed the envelope further by introducing cropped versions of jerseys. First seen in 2025 for European clubs like Liverpool and Real Madrid, these designs have been marketed as a “more exciting product for female fans.” According to Sam Handy, the inspiration came from observing fans altering jerseys to achieve their preferred fit.
Handy emphasized that “the future of football is women,” noting that those who ignore this trend risk missing out on connecting with half the global population. This sentiment is echoed by Ellie-Ann Prendergast, a 22-year-old fan of Liverpool, who credits match-day outfits with deepening her passion for the sport. “Styling myself for games has made me enjoy them more,” she shared. “As a new fan, I feel accepted into the community because they’re such a close-knit group.”
With its strong ties to the trendsetting NBA and NFL, it’s fitting that streetwear now dominates the North American World Cup kits. Yet this fusion isn’t without history. In 2005, the NBA imposed a dress code requiring players to wear “business casual” attire, aiming to exclude streetwear. Players countered by hiring stylists to creatively bend the rules, blending athletic and fashion-forward looks.
Today, footballers like Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Rashford, and Jude Bellingham have followed suit, making appearances at Paris Fashion Week. French players have long been known for their bold sartorial choices, with outlandish outfits regularly trending online. The 2018 World Cup marked a turning point when streetwear became a defining feature of the sport, reflecting its ongoing evolution as a global cultural force.
