The World Cup collaborations we can't stop thinking about

It's been a big few weeks for football. Not just on the pitch, but everywhere else.

The World Cup has a way of escaping the stadium. One minute you're watching highlights from a match in Mexico City, the next you're seeing football shirts on fashion runways, luxury brands releasing limited-edition collections and designers revisiting the sport's archives for inspiration.

Not everyone will be following the group stages, transfer rumours or Golden Boot race. That's fine. The beauty of the World Cup is that it eventually reaches everyone. Sometimes through a match. Sometimes through a jersey. And increasingly, through the worlds of fashion, design and culture.

What makes this year's collaborations particularly interesting is that few of them are really selling football. Instead, they are selling nostalgia, national identity, heritage, community and belonging. The sport is simply the starting point.

Here are the collaborations that caught our attention this week.

Adidas x Willy Chavarria

Designer Willy Chavarria partnered with Adidas to reinterpret the Copa Mundial, one of football's most recognisable boots since its debut in 1979.

The collection also includes a goalkeeper jersey inspired by Mexican football icon Jorge Campos, known for his brightly coloured kits in the 1990s.

Lotto Moments Collection

Lotto's Moments collection revisits football history through graphic jerseys and apparel. One standout piece references Diego Maradona's famous 1986 World Cup performance against England.

The collection centres on the stories and memories that continue to shape the sport.

Wales Bonner x Adidas Originals

Since 2020, Grace Wales Bonner's partnership with Adidas has become one of fashion's most influential sportswear collaborations. Her collections frequently reference football, music and Black diasporic culture while drawing on Adidas' extensive archive.

Louis Vuitton REBONDS

With REBONDS, Louis Vuitton brings together more than 100 artists, actors, musicians and cultural figures photographed holding a Monogram football.

Launched in 1998 and reissued to mark ten years of the House's partnership with UNICEF. It explores football as a shared language across cultures.

Jacquemus x Nike x French Football Federation

Simon Porte Jacquemus reunites with Nike and the French Football Federation for a collection inspired by the visual identity of Les Bleus. The collaboration supports Sport Dans la Ville, a youth-focused non-profit organisation.

Nike x Palace Skateboards x England

Nike and Palace Skateboards partnered with England's men's national team on a capsule titled The Three Lions by Palace. The collection includes tracksuits, varsity jackets, jerseys and accessories that draw from both English football history and Palace's skateboarding roots.

AS Monaco x Kappa x Drôle de Monsieur

French club AS Monaco partnered with Kappa and Paris-based label Drôle de Monsieur for a special collection ahead of the World Cup summer. It reflects the growing overlap between club culture, fashion and lifestyle.

The irony is that many of these collaborations will probably outlast the tournament itself.

Most matches disappear into highlights packages and statistics. A few goals become history. But the objects people keep, a jersey, a photograph, a book, a pair of boots often become the way they remember an era. We like to think sport creates culture. More often, culture is what decides which parts of sport survive.

We like to think sport creates culture. More often, culture is what decides which parts of sport survive.