Footballers’ worst fashion fails: From David Beckham’s purple suit to Sheffield United midfielder’s ‘moon boots’… the style moments they wish you hadn’t seen!

The 2026 World Cup tournament is officially underway, with scores of football fans flocking to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Thursday for a star-studded opening ceremony performance by Shakira.

Yet it won’t just be the sport that onlookers will be paying attention to over the next month – with avid fans also keen to observe the fashion choices made by members of the record 48 teams.

In recent years, there has been a rise in designer fashion brands working closely alongside players and clubs for both their official kit and day-to-day attire.

Meanwhile, the England players are leading the charge with their luxury Hermes Birkin bags, which they showcased when travelling to the US.

But while today’s football players may have the fortune of stylists and fashion guidance, some of their previous looks selected off the pitch have certainly proven that money can’t always buy style.

From David Beckham’s purple suit to Lionel Messi’s bright metallic version and Kalvin Phillips’s rather niche shoe choice, there are an abundance of footballers susceptible to a fashion faux pas.

The Daily Mail takes a look at the most memorable football player fashion fails below…

David Beckham

When David Beckham tied the knot with Victoria in 1999, the pair opted for unconventional purple suits as their wedding attire. 

Later reflecting on their unusual attire, David said: ‘I try to think back to when I decided to wear a purple suit and I don’t know when that happened…

‘I think I just took Victoria’s lead on it but what were we thinking?!’

Having no regrets on her end, Victoria quipped: ‘It was fun!’

In 1998, football sensation David Beckham suffered what is widely regarded as one of the biggest fashion mistakes of his career when he stepped out in a wraparound skirt with his wife, Victoria Beckham. 

The footballer-turned-fashion-mogul’s famous sarong was worn with silver sandals and a black sleeveless T-shirt as the couple embarked on a night out.

Comedians Ronni Ancona and Alistair McGowan even poked fun at the unusual outfit choice in their satirical sketch show Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression.

However, despite the backlash, David has always been insistent that he has zero regrets for opting to wear the skirt and insisted that he would be happy to put one on again. 

Speaking on ITV morning show Lorraine in 2014, he said: ‘Sarongs are great. That’s one thing I never regret because I thought it looked great and I would still wear it now.

‘Over the years it’s not just myself, everybody looks back at old pictures of themselves and thinks, ‘I can’t believe I wore that, or I wish I hadn’t wore that, or what was I thinking?’

‘You make mistakes over the years or you wear things that were right at the time.’

Lionel Messi

At the FIFA Ballon d’Or awards, Argentinian football player Lionel Messi stepped out in a bright red suit that gained an abundance of public attention, but not all positive. 

‘Everyone is rocking a black tux and Messi shows up in a red one like he’s Beyonce,’ commented one X user at the time.

With Ronaldo outscoring Messi by 14 goals in 2013, the Barcelona wizard perhaps knew he was likely to miss out on the Ballon d’Or for the first time and sought to make a statement with his red silky number.

The garish red suit stood out among the crowd of black, however it failed to bring him any good luck on the night. 

Oli McBurnie

Pulling his socks up as high as possible, Oli McBurnie certainly made a statement with this tracksuit choice.

The Sheffield United and Scotland star was captured posing with his socks pulled up high – a deviation from his unusually low socks worn on the pitch.

Revealing the reasoning behind his bizarre sock habit in 2017, the sportsman said: ‘Like most players, I used to wear socks above my knees, but that all changed when I arrived at Chester. They were in the Conference at the time and did not have a lot of spare kit.

‘When I was given the socks they had no elastic left in them, so would not stay up. I played two or three games with them falling down throughout the game.

‘By the fourth game I couldn’t be bothered anymore and just kept them down. I ended up playing the best game I ever played and scored my first goal for Chester. Since then I haven’t changed the style. Everyone asks me so it’s good to set the record straight.’

Tom Davies 

Sheffield United’s Tom Davies attracted an abundance of criticism and confusion from fashion critics when he stepped out at New York Fashion Week in 2020. 

Dressed in a dressing gown and purple shoes, which some thought were high heels, the look was criticised by some as a rogue choice.

In response, one X user said: ‘Calvert-Lewin looks like he’s an 80s TV detective going undercover in a nightclub.’

A few days later, the midfielder, in a seeming sign of protest, shared a picture to Instagram of him hanging up his purple boots, a likely suggestion that he had no plans to wear them again. 

Mario Balotelli

When Mario Balotelli arrived at Manchester City’s match against Everton in December 2010, few could take their eyes off the sportsman’s hat that resembled a giant chicken comb. 

The rather unique beanie, which came fit with a bright red crest and earflaps, caused an abundance of online controversy and ridicule.

Some likened the unusual item to the rubber glove worn by the penguin in Wallace and Gommit classic, the Wrong Trousers. 

In response, a London-based knitting website offered to make versions of the hat in a choice of 24 different colours at a price of £80.

Kalvin Phillips 

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips faced public ridicule in 2022 when he stepped out in a rather bizarre pair of ‘moon shoes’ as he signed an autograph for a fan. 

The 30-year-old sportsman was spotted in the strange pair of yellow boots in a photograph that was later posted on X. 

Some bemused fans compared his shoes to quavers, while others said the footwear looked like moose hooves.

One commenter said: ‘Kalvin Phillips wearing a pair of Cornish Pasties earlier today.’

Another said: ‘What’s Kalvin Phillips got on his feet mate?’

Meanwhile another poster said: ‘He’s wearing quavers on his feet.’

According to the Daily Star, the footwear was part of fashion house Loewe’s  collection for Autumn 2022.

Dani Alves

At Neymar Jr’s 27th birthday party in Paris in February 2019, former Brazilian football player Dani Alves stepped out in a questionable red suit that appeared to blend into the carpet.

Fit with tassels and ornate beads, the bright red designer suit was certainly unusual – and a far cry from the more traditional outfits seen that night.  

The former Barcelona player was one of many who stepped out to celebrate Neymar in style, who partied with red crutches at a glittering party.

The 43-year-old, who is one of the most decorated players in the history of football, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars in February 2024 when a court found him guilty of committing a sex attack in a Catalan nightclub two years earlier.

Alves was however later released on bail while a higher court heard his appeal. Eventually, the former Juventus star was acquitted by a Catalan High Court due to ‘inconsistencies and contradictions’ in the case against him.

Paul Pogba 

Paul Pogba certainly turned heads when he arrived at Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Wigan in January 2017 – with his rather unusual headwear soon compared to a cloak. 

A far cry from his usual high-end fashion choices, the bizarre sleeveless hoodie was worn over a grey cardigan and similar trousers in a seeming bid to protect him from the wet weather.

It came just two weeks after the sportsman had launched his own Adidas clothing line, with critics suggesting perhaps he should be taking a leaf out of his own repertoire of pieces. 

But the midfielder has often opted for weird and wonderful looks, and in December 2017 was pictured wearing an unusual snakeskin jacket with a fur collar while leaving Manchester United’s training ground. 

Robbie Savage 

Robbie Savage has certainly built up a reputation for his bold wardrobe choices, with many remembering the bright yellow suit he wore during his BT Sport pundit work in 2015.

But the sportsman’s choice to step out in a denim jacket, baggy trousers and no socks for one of his pundit jobs attracted several online fashion critics to question his judgment.

‘Robbie Savage looking like he’s just come back from a gap year,’ commented one X user in June 2021, while another added: ‘This is a mum’s packed all your clothes for holiday so just wear whatever’s left vibe.’

‘Audition for a part in Aladdin at this year’s panto,’ quipped another, while another noted: ‘If the trousers were a couple of inches longer and he was rocking some Prada trainers, this would be the bomb.’ 

Erling Haaland 

Proving that footballers certainly travel in style, Norwegian player Erling Haaland jetted off to the Monaco Grand Prix in May 2021 in a £1,200 Dolce & Gabbana tracksuit.

However, some fashion critics questioned the expensive, yet unusual, attire. 

‘Is this a onesie?’, questioned one X user, while another added: ‘Parachuting suit, surely?’

Others quipped that the look was synonymous with a ‘deck chair’ or a ‘pajama set’, while one praised: ‘He kind of pulls it off.’ 

Allan Saint-Maximin

Showcasing that fashion is certainly subjective, Allan Saint-Maximin of Newcastle United was seen arriving for the Pre Season Friendly between New York City and Newcastle United in July 2021 in mismatched trainers.

The impeccable sportsman was seen wheeling a suitcase into the grounds with one black and one white trainer on – believed to be from different sets of shoes. 

Several X users suggested that the trainer choice was likely a ‘mistake’, while one added: ‘His shoe collection must have got messed up.’ 

Others, however, noted that perhaps this was the star player’s way of showcasing his unique style.