Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreWith the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on 11 June, it's not just football fans getting excited. If my Instagram feed, Pinterest boards and favourite fashion insiders are anything to go by, we're about to enter a full-blown football-shirt summer. And unlike previous tournaments, where team jerseys were largely reserved for pubs and watch parties, this year's football shirts are being styled as genuine wardrobe staples. Somewhere between the rise of sporty dressing, fashion's ongoing obsession with vintage sportswear and the return of statement jerseys, football shirts have quietly become the chicest top to wear right now.The data backs it up. Pinterest's Summer 2026 Trend Report identifies sports as 'a new canvas for personal style', with people drawing on team colours, bold graphics and performance details before remixing them into everyday wardrobes. Searches for 'World Cup shirts' have soared by 840% over the past year, while 'Brazil shirt outfit women' is up 302% and 'oversized football shirt outfit' has increased by 92%. Pinterest even describes football shirts as the 'hero top' of summer 2026. The real question isn't whether to wear a football shirt this World Cup summer – it's how.The real question isn't whether to wear a football shirt this World Cup summer – it's how.After spending far too much time analysing the trouser and shorts trends set to dominate the season, I've noticed six outfit formulas that feel particularly fresh. These are the combinations I predict fashion insiders will be wearing from kick-off all the way through to the final.1. With poplin trousers (extra points if they're barrel-leg)If I had to predict the outfit fashion insiders will be wearing on repeat throughout the tournament, this would be it.The trend can largely be traced back to LA-based label Leset and its now-iconic Kyoto Carpenter Pant. At around £290 a pair, they've become something of a status symbol among the Instagram fashion set and have helped catapult poplin trousers into the mainstream.The appeal is obvious. Poplin offers the ease and comfort of loungewear but still looks polished enough to leave the house. When combined with the structured shape of a barrel-leg silhouette, the result feels incredibly modern.If Leset is out of budget, Gap's Easy Double-Knee Barrel Trousers are one of the best high-street alternatives I've found – and they're already selling out fast. I'm also a fan of Abercrombie's Poplin Barrel Pull-On Pant, which captures the same effortless energy.Pair with an oversized football shirt and flip-flops and you've got what might just be the coolest outfit formula of World Cup summer.2. With denim shortsIf there's one football-shirt pairing destined to define World Cup summer, it's this one.Pinterest's Summer 2026 Trend Report, created in partnership with Levi's, places football shirts firmly at the centre of a wider off-duty denim movement. Searches for 'denim shorts outfits women' have increased by 430%, while searches for 'denim jorts outfit' have jumped by 330% as fashion continues its love affair with longer, baggier silhouettes.Personally, I'll be wearing an oversized football jersey with loose-cut denim shorts and retro trainers. It's effortless, cool and feels like the natural evolution of last summer's jorts obsession.Levi's Baggy Dad Jort feels especially current if you're leaning into the oversized aesthetic, while Topshop's Editor Short remain a classic.3. With Bermuda shortsBermuda shorts have become fashion's answer to tailoring in hot weather, and they happen to work perfectly with football shirts.The contrast between a sporty jersey and a polished, knee-length short makes the whole outfit feel intentional rather than match-day ready. Add sleek sandals, oversized sunglasses and a woven bag and you've got a look that feels more Fashion Week than football terrace.Personally, I've got my eye on Mango's straight linen Bermuda shorts, which feel ideal for holidays and warm-weather weekends, alongside M&S's cotton-rich pleat-front Bermuda shorts for everyday wear. Both strike that sweet spot between relaxed and polished, making them the perfect partner for an oversized football shirt.4. With lace-trim satin shortsEvery trend needs an unexpected styling twist, and this summer's comes courtesy of lace-trim satin shorts.The trend arguably started with Reformation's now-cult Fern Satin Short (£148), which quickly became a fixture on fashion-girl moodboards. Unsurprisingly, the high street was quick to follow.The sporty energy of a football shirt balances out the femininity of delicate satin, creating the kind of high-low combination fashion editors love. It's equal parts sporty, romantic and slightly undone – which is exactly why it works.If you're looking to recreate the look, both M&S and Anthropologie now offer convincing alternatives that deliver the same lingerie-inspired feel without the designer price tag.5. With satin trousersOne of fashion's favourite styling tricks is mixing casual pieces with luxurious fabrics, and football shirts are no exception.Rather than tucking in your jersey, I'd wear an oversized football tee and simply let it skim over the elasticated waistband of the trousers. The silhouette feels relaxed, effortless and much cooler than anything overly styled.For me, COS's satin wide-leg trousers are some of the best on the market right now. The fluid shape and subtle sheen make them feel incredibly elevated. Though & Other Stories has a brilliant satin wide-leg pair that delivers a very similar look. It's the kind of outfit that works whether you're watching a match, heading to brunch or going straight out for dinner afterwards.6. With balloon trousersIf skinny jeans were all about sleek proportions, balloon trousers are their complete opposite.Unlike oversized football shirts paired with wide-leg trousers, I actually think this look works best with a more fitted football shirt. The simpler the jersey, the better. Let the exaggerated shape of the trousers do all the talking.The result feels directional and fashion-forward without trying too hard. I'd look to Next's balloon-leg trousers for a polished everyday option, while Free People's Moonflower Balloon Pants offer a more dramatic take on the silhouette that's already proving popular among fashion insiders.The fashion-girl football shirts (and sporty pieces) I'm shopping before kick-off Farm Rio's colourful take on football culture If traditional football merchandise isn't your thing, Farm Rio's limited-edition Together, We Play capsule offers a fashion-forward alternative.Inspired by the shared spirit of the game, the collection reimagines football culture through the brand's signature colourful lens, with playful scarf prints, souvenir-inspired graphics and standout separates that feel just as wearable long after the tournament ends.The Together We Play Ringer T-Shirt, Macaws Cap, Long Sleeve Shirt and printed scarf are all firmly on my wish list, while the blue-and-white Copa Knit Polo might just be one of the chicest football-inspired pieces I've seen all season.Gap's vintage World Cup collection Gap has quietly become one of the most interesting destinations for football-inspired fashion this summer.Its FIFA Classics collection, designed and creatively directed by Ouigi Theodore, celebrates iconic football nations through vintage-inspired graphics and retro sportswear silhouettes. England, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and the USA all feature in the collection.The red England FIFA World Cup™ Oversized Football Jersey T-Shirt may already be sold out online, but that's arguably proof of just how much appetite there is for the trend.Alongside it sits OuiGap, a more elevated football-inspired capsule of monochrome polos, scarves, caps and track jackets that feels particularly fashion-person approved.H&M x LOTTO's borrowed-from-the-boys collection Technically it's a menswear collection.In reality, it's exactly the sort of oversized football-inspired wardrobe fashion people will be borrowing from all summer long.Created with heritage Italian sportswear label LOTTO, the collaboration taps into vintage football aesthetics through graphic stripes, archival logos, oversized jerseys and brightly coloured separates. The loose-fit football shirt is already firmly on my wish list.George at Asda's purse-friendly football shirts Not everyone wants to spend upwards of £80 on a football shirt.According to research from George, 80% of Brits believe football shirts are too expensive, despite nearly half saying they'd wear team colours during a major tournament regardless of how closely they follow the sport.Its new England and Scotland-inspired range starts at just £5, with football shirts and graphic tees available for £12 or less. The England ringer tee, in particular, looks far more expensive than its price tag suggests.Abercrombie's vintage-looking England tee One of my favourite places to hunt for sporty graphic T-shirts is actually the men's department at Abercrombie & Fitch.This season's standout piece is a washed-red England Football Graphic Tee that looks convincingly vintage and feels exactly like the sort of thing you'd discover in the back corner of a great thrift store.M&S's easy entry point If a full football jersey feels like too much commitment, M&S has the answer.Its England-themed ringer tees in classic red-and-white colourways offer a subtle nod to the World Cup trend while remaining easy to style with everything from denim shorts to poplin trousers.At £15, they're one of the easiest ways to tap into the football-shirt movement this summer.To get more of what you love from your favourite Sunday supplement, follow us on Instagram (@youmagazine), Facebook (YOU Magazine) and X (@YOUMagSocial).