The 2026 World Cup has only just begun, but another competition is already taking place away from the pitch: who has brought the best bag?
As national teams arrived in the US, Canada and Mexico, airport photographs started to look less like sports coverage and more like fashion-week street style. Players appeared carrying Louis Vuitton Keepalls, enormous Hermès bags, rare Chanel pieces and Bottega Veneta holdalls.
Naturally, I was mainly looking at the Louis Vuitton bags.
Jules Koundé: classic Louis Vuitton Monogram
France’s Jules Koundé arrived carrying a traditional Louis Vuitton Monogram travel bag.
Compared with some of the more extravagant bags carried by his teammates, it was a fairly restrained choice. But the familiar brown canvas and tan leather trim are almost impossible to mistake for anything else.
Koundé is already known for taking fashion seriously, so it is interesting that he chose something so recognisably Louis Vuitton. It did not need an unusual colour or an enormous logo to attract attention. The classic Monogram did the work by itself.
Malo Gusto: a much louder Keepall
Malo Gusto chose a more playful version of the Keepall Bandoulière 50.
His bag combined Louis Vuitton’s Monogram with oversized floral graphics and a khaki-toned colour palette. It retained the familiar Keepall shape, but looked much more like a seasonal fashion piece than traditional luggage.
Ørjan Nyland: black Monogram
The dark Monogram finish made the bag much less obvious from a distance. You could still recognise the Louis Vuitton pattern, but it felt more understated and modern than the traditional brown canvas.
Keito Nakamura: a colourful Louis Vuitton Keepall
Japan winger Keito Nakamura also arrived with a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière 50, but his version was far more colourful than the classic Monogram styles seen elsewhere.
The bag featured Louis Vuitton’s familiar pattern overlaid with bright multicoloured details, giving a traditional travel shape a much more playful feel. The Keepall Bandoulière 50 is already a popular choice among footballers, but Nakamura’s version stood out because it felt youthful without being overly flashy.
Neymar: yellow Louis Vuitton with a dinosaur
Neymar’s Louis Vuitton bag was not trying to be discreet.
He reportedly travelled with a bright yellow Keepall Bandoulière decorated with a small dinosaur charm. It was colourful, playful and instantly recognisable, which is probably exactly what you would expect from Neymar’s wardrobe.
Enzo Fernández and Thiago Almada: matching-but-not-matching Louis Vuitton bags
Argentina players Enzo Fernández and Thiago Almada arrived with two different interpretations of Louis Vuitton travel luggage.
Fernández carried a Speedy P9, while Almada chose a reflective Monogram Miroir Keepall. The bags coordinated without being identical: the same house, a similar travel shape, but very different finishes.
Ousmane Dembélé, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Thuram: France’s luxury bag line-up
France’s squad generated some of the biggest fashion moments of the tournament.
Alongside the Louis Vuitton bags, Ousmane Dembélé carried a large black Hermès Haut à Courroies, while Rayan Cherki chose a suede Hermès bag in pale neutral tones.
The standout, however, was probably Marcus Thuram’s enormous green Chanel x Pharrell XXL flap bag from the 2019 collection. Made in quilted lambskin and covered with playful details, it looked more like an oversized version of a classic Chanel handbag than conventional men’s luggage.
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