World Cup accessories

Come June 14, football fever will be in full swing as the sport’s biggest event kicks off in host nation Russia. Whether you’re actually making the pilgrimage to watch the matches live or keeping late nights before your telly, here’s some gear to help you get fully immersed in Russia 2018.

01: Louis Vuitton World Cup collectors’ special editions

You don’t transport the top prize of football’s biggest global tournament in a plastic bag. To that end, Louis Vuitton has created a unique, hand-crafted titanium trunk that will house the World Cup trophy. Both trophy and trunk will be revealed at the opening and closing matches of the month-long tournament on June 14 and July 15, respectively. For those who don’t have a World Cup trophy in need of housing, may we suggest instead the Official Match Ball Collection trunk? It comes with 13 re-editions of footballs used in World Cup matches since 1970. These footballs are specially made by Adidas, but along with these, there’s also a 14th football designed by Louis Vuitton. Extra points if you actually kick these around in the mud.

02: Louis Vuitton World Cup licensed product collection

Chuck that ratty sports duffel bag and replace it with one of the football-themed carriers from Louis Vuitton (bonus: you’ll probably get a lot more use out of these as compared to a trunk for 14 footballs). There are Apollo backpacks and the Keepall in playfully embossed Epi leather, as well as small leather goods. Complement these (or just jazz up your regular bag) with a leather tag that pays tribute to your favourite team.

03: Hublot Big Bang Referee 2018 World Cup Russia smartwatch

If you’re an armchair athlete who likes shouting insults at the referees as they make (what you think are) bad calls, here’s a chance to put yourself in their shoes or rather, on their wrists. Russia 2018 referees will be sporting luxury watchmaker Hublot’s first smartwatch, a 49mm titanium connected wristwatch. The Big Bang Referee’s main USP is, unsurprisingly, its World Cup-centric apps that will allow wearers to keep track of game times and match schedules, and view real-time displays of match statistics. Only drawback? There’s no heart-rate sensor to let you know when your pulse soars every time the ref awards an unfair penalty.

04: Vilebrequin octopus swim trunks

Is that a tentacle in your swim shorts or… oh, wait, sorry. Made for fitness fiends who presumably love swimming as much as they love football, fancy French swimwear brand Vilebrequin’s special-edition trunks celebrate Paul the Octopus (along with the brand’s signature turtle). Those above the age of 20 will probably remember the late German cephalopod’s feats of divination, such as correctly predicting the winning team in all seven of Germany’s matches at the 2010 World Cup.

05: Fred Perry country polo shirts

Dedicated to teams ranging from Brazil to Belgium, ten different Fred Perry country polo shirts let fans unabashedly show their support for their favourite footie national squads. These tops are the great leveller among all the World Cup paraphernalia you see here — uniting fans of different stripes, just as the World Cup brings us together every four years.

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