The Bags Stealing the Show at the 2026 World Cup

Football's New Dress Code

Something shifted at this World Cup. The pitch is still the main event, but the arrivals? The arrivals have become a whole other competition.

Photographers who used to wait for match shots are now staking out hotel lobbies and airport terminals, cataloguing what players are carrying with the same intensity once reserved for red carpets. And the players, for their part, are showing up.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has produced more luxury bag content than any tournament in history. Hermès HACs are being treated as carry-on luggage. A Chanel collaboration with Pharrell Williams is getting more column inches than some national teams. And one Norwegian striker has singlehandedly reignited a global conversation about men, handbags, and why the two were ever considered incompatible.

Let's get into it.

Erling Haaland's Hermès HAC Collection: The $317K Situation

No player came close to generating the bag conversation that Erling Haaland did. The Norway striker, six foot five, Viking hair, world-class goals, arrived at the World Cup carrying an Hermès HAC Birkin 50 in the special edition "Endless Road" colourway, a bone-white bag decorated with a patchwork of blue and grey leather stitched into a mountain highway scene. The bag is no longer produced by Hermès. It sells on resale for between $45,000 and $60,000 CAD.

It went viral within hours. TikTok stylist Jack Savoie broke down Haaland's collection in a video that crossed 10 million views. "Have you seen Erling Haaland's custom Birkins?" he said. "Baby, buckle up."

The collection, catalogued across multiple public appearances, includes a black Multipocket HAC 50 (resale value: approximately $69,500 USD), an Evercalf Toile Cargo HAC 40 (around $50,000 USD), a moss-coloured canvas HAC, a black-and-orange checkerboard HAC, and, most memorably, a moment where he tucked his girlfriend's Birkin 25 inside his HAC 50 for travel. Doubled up on Birkins. Casually.

The total documented collection sits at approximately $317,000 USD.

Here's the detail that makes the story richer: the HAC is not actually a Birkin. It is the Birkin's older sibling. The Haut à Courroies was introduced by Hermès in the late 19th century to carry equestrian equipment. It is taller and narrower than the Birkin, predates it by decades, and is arguably rarer. The Birkin, introduced in 1984 after a chance meeting between Jane Birkin and then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, was designed as a smaller, more accessible version of the HAC. Today, the HAC is sought precisely because it isn't the Birkin: it is what the Birkin aspired to be.

Haaland has scored goals in every appearance at this World Cup. He has also changed the bag conversation permanently.

The French Team's HAC Parade

France arrived in Boston for their World Cup base at Bentley University in Waltham wearing Jacquemus x Nike travel wear and carrying enough Hermès to open a boutique.

Ousmane Dembélé carried the Hermès Multipocket HAC 50 in classic black leather. Large enough, as one publication put it, to fit a table lamp. The Multipocket is one of the most talked-about modern interpretations of the HAC line, with additional exterior pockets that give it a utilitarian edge while maintaining the house's signature construction. Behind him, in the same shot, a tan Hermès bag, consistent with the gold/caramel leather HAC variants carried by other squad members, completes the visual.

Rayan Cherki carried what appears to be an étoupe suede Hermès Kelly Maxi 42, worn crossbody with its adjustable strap. The étoupe colourway, a warm grey with taupe undertones, is one of Hermès' most reliably valued neutrals across both retail and resale. The Kelly Maxi, at 42cm, is the largest size in the Kelly family and one of the most striking to wear in a sports context.

Michael Olise carried a classic HAC 50 in standard leather, underscoring how thoroughly the bag has become the unofficial travel companion of this generation of French footballers.

Marcus Thuram broke from the Hermès theme entirely with what became one of the tournament's most-photographed bags: the Chanel x Pharrell Williams Suede Lambskin XXL Flap in lime green. The collaboration reimagined the Classic Flap, Karl Lagerfeld's 1983 icon, in exaggerated proportions, bold colourways, and a streetwear-adjacent construction. Limited edition when released. Rare now. The kind of piece resale platforms see once or twice a year, if that.

Maxence Lacroix rounded out the French bag moment with a Bottega Veneta Andiamo Messenger, the lone quiet luxury play in a team that mostly went loud with Hermès.

Lamine Yamal's Chanel Métiers d'Art Tote

Spain's teenage phenomenon Lamine Yamal, 18, arrived at the Spanish national team's training camp in a black Chanel bouclé tweed jacket with white piping and gold double-C buttons, carrying a Chanel C26 Métiers d'Art Shopping Tote. The Métiers d'Art collections are Chanel's annual showcase of its specialist artisan ateliers, producing pieces with extraordinary hand-embellishment and limited availability. Yamal in Chanel tweed, at 18, carrying a Métiers d'Art tote, is not a styling accident. It is a statement about where this generation of footballers has landed culturally.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Gucci Duffle

Not every bag story at this World Cup is about Hermès. Cristiano Ronaldo, arriving with the Portugal squad in the Sacoor Brothers suits Portugal has chosen as official travel wear, carried a Gucci Mega Web Trademark large duffle. Clean, structured, logo-forward. Where Haaland and the French team chose collector-grade pieces requiring boutique relationships and serious waiting lists, Ronaldo went with a bag that is immediately recognisable, accessible by comparison, and exactly on-brand for a player who has always worn his status visibly. Teammate Pedro Neto went the Hermès route, arriving with an HAC 40 of his own.

Lionel Messi's Cargo HAC

Messi, never one to do anything without intention, carries an Hermès Evercalf Toile Cargo HAC 40 as his regular travel companion. The Cargo is a functional evolution of the classic HAC, with multiple exterior pockets built into the structure, giving it a workwear-adjacent utility while remaining unmistakably Hermès. For a player who has spent three decades being the most watched person at every tournament he attends, the Cargo HAC is an interestingly understated choice: recognisable to those who know, invisible to those who don't.

What the Bag is Actually Saying

The conversation these bags have sparked isn't really about luxury. It's about how the meaning of these objects has shifted.

The juxtaposition of the apex masculinity of the professional athlete with traditionally feminine signifiers of the luxury handbag does seem to short circuit something in the wider culture. But the short-circuiting is revealing something true: the HAC was never a women's bag. It was built for horses and riding gear. The gendering of luxury leather goods came later, and it's coming undone now. These players aren't making a statement about gender. They're just buying beautiful things.

As stylist Jack Savoie put it: "I think there's just an increasing appreciation for beautiful things, gender aside. I don't even know why these bags have genders."

What This Means for Resale

World Cup visibility at this scale creates real market effects.

The Hermès HAC, already rare and highly sought after, has seen search volume spike significantly since the tournament began. The HAC 50, specifically, is now appearing on resale platforms at prices that reflect new demand. Pieces like Haaland's "Endless Road" edition, already commanding $45,000 to $60,000 CAD on the secondary market, will only become harder to find as more buyers understand what they're looking at.

The Chanel x Pharrell Williams XXL Flap, which Thuram carried in lime green, is similarly affected. Limited edition pieces from that collaboration were already trading at significant premiums. Visibility on a player being photographed globally accelerates that.

For Canadian buyers and sellers, the timing matters. The window between a cultural moment and a pricing adjustment on resale platforms is short, typically three to six months. If you're holding HAC-adjacent Hermès pieces, Chanel limited editions, or Bottega Veneta from recent collections, the market is paying attention right now.

Get a data-backed quote on what your piece is worth today at Reluxify's RAI tool. Our AI factors in real-time market signals, including the kind of demand spikes this tournament is generating.

Quick Answers

What is the difference between a Birkin and a HAC?

The Haut à Courroies (HAC) is the Birkin's predecessor, introduced by Hermès in the late 19th century to carry equestrian equipment. It is taller and narrower than the Birkin, comes in larger sizes (40 and 50 are most common), and is generally rarer. The Birkin was designed in 1984 as a smaller, more structured version of the HAC. Both are quota bags, meaning they cannot simply be purchased: they require an established relationship with a Hermès sales associate.

How much are Erling Haaland's Hermès bags worth?

His documented collection sits at approximately $317,000 USD across multiple pieces. The most valuable single bag spotted is a black Multipocket HAC 50, previously sold on resale for approximately $69,500 USD. His "Endless Road" special edition HAC typically trades at $45,000 to $60,000 USD on the secondary market.

Can I find Hermès HAC bags on resale in Canada?

Yes, though availability is limited and prices reflect rarity. Authenticated pre-loved Hermès pieces appear on platforms like Reluxify. Use the RAI instant quote tool if you're selling, or browse the current collection if you're buying. Authentication through Entrupy is standard for all Hermès pieces.

Why are footballers suddenly carrying these bags?

This generation of players grew up with unprecedented access to luxury, global media exposure, and stylists who understand resale culture as well as fashion. The HAC in particular resonates because of its scale: it works as a travel bag for someone who actually needs to carry things, not just as a status accessory. It is functional and extraordinary at the same time.

The Takeaway

The 2026 World Cup has made one thing clear: the bag is no longer an afterthought. It is part of the look, part of the story, part of what these players are communicating about who they are beyond the pitch.

Haaland's HAC collection has a combined resale value that exceeds most people's annual salary. Thuram's Chanel x Pharrell Flap is a collector's piece worn casually through an airport. Yamal's Métiers d'Art tote is fashion literacy at 18. And France's full HAC parade, worn while representing their country at the biggest sporting event in the world, says something about where luxury and athleticism have arrived together.

The tournament runs until July 19. The bag conversation will last considerably longer.

Spotted a World Cup bag moment you love and want to find something similar? Shop authenticated luxury bags at Reluxify or get an instant quote if you're ready to sell.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Reluxify is not affiliated with Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, or any other brands mentioned in this article. We exclusively sell authenticated, pre-loved luxury items.