With a certain soccer tournament right around the corner, we’ve got the sport on the brain. And fashion? Well, here at Rue, that goes without saying. But it turns out these two things are more entwined than you think. Yes, there are the colorful jerseys and knee-high socks, but there’s more to it. Here are three connections you may not know about.

Soccer Players as Fashion Models
Okay, so you’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t seen David Beckham‘s many ads for H&M, Armani, and more. But did you know that Portuguese phenom Cristiano Ronaldo – one of the most marketable soccer players in the world – also plays the modeling game? He’s fronted everything from Armani to Tag Heuer.

The New York Times Called Soccer a Trend
The interesting thing about this? The article ran in the Fashion & Style section and called soccer a conversation topic that can’t be ignored. The article states: “This is particularly evident in New York creative circles, where the game’s aesthetics, Europhilic allure and fashionable otherness have made soccer the new baseball — the go-to sport of the thinking class.”

Fashion Brands Are All About Soccer
If you want, you can drop $690 on a Versace tee festooned with soccer players in silhouette, Medusa heads, and soccer balls. Or maybe Original Penguin and PepsiCo’s Live for Now collaboration (a limited-edition capsule collection) is more your speed. One thing’s for sure: You’ll have plenty of what-to-wear options while rooting for your team this summer.

Need a jersey to showcase your team alliance at the sports bar? Our Rep Your Country: World Soccer Tournament Fan Gear Boutique opens Saturday, May 31, at 11AM ET.

By Chrissy Makkas, Staff Writer

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