Inside Erling Haaland’s Luxury Hermès Birkin Collection: The Rare Bags Turning Heads at the Club World Cup (Image via Haaland/IG)Erling Haaland is at the FIFA Club World Cup for his football, but another part of his public image has unexpectedly become a talking point. The Manchester City and Norway striker has drawn attention for his collection of rare Hermès bags, particularly pieces from the brand’s Haut à Courroies (HAC) line. The discussion picked up after stylist and TikTok creator Jack Savoie highlighted Haaland’s bags in a viral video that has crossed 10 million views. While luxury handbags are often linked with women’s fashion, Haaland’s collection has started a wider conversation about personal style, fashion choices, and how male athletes are changing traditional ideas around luxury accessories.How Erling Haaland’s Hermès HAC collection became a talking point?Speaking in his viral video, Jack Savoie pointed out that many of the bags seen with Haaland are not actually Birkins. Instead, they belong to the Hermès Haut à Courroies line, commonly known as HAC. The model is older than the Birkin and was originally designed to carry horse-riding equipment.According to Savoie, Haaland owns several standout HAC pieces. One of the most talked-about bags is the special-edition “Endless Road” HAC, which features a detailed leather design resembling a mountain highway scene. Haaland was seen carrying the bag when he arrived in North Carolina ahead of the tournament.Other bags linked to the striker include a moss-green canvas HAC and a black-and-orange checkerboard HAC. Savoie also noted that Haaland was once photographed carrying an HAC while his partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen’s Birkin 25 was tucked inside, a detail that caught the attention of fashion followers.The collection has surprised many people because Haaland is primarily known for his powerful playing style and goal-scoring record. At 6-foot-5, the Norwegian forward has built a reputation as one of football’s most dominant strikers. His interest in luxury handbags has shown fans a different side of his personality away from the pitch.Erling Haaland joins Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk and other football stars embracing luxury bagsHaaland is far from the only footballer carrying high-end handbags. As reported by CNN, several top players have been seen travelling with Hermès pieces and other luxury accessories.Argentine legend Lionel Messi has been photographed with a cargo-style HAC 40, while Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has carried a grey leather version. Former England captain David Beckham has also been linked to oversized luxury travel bags.The trend was visible at the Club World Cup as well. Members of the French national team arrived with bags from Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Forward Marcus Thuram carried a bright green Chanel bag from the brand’s collaboration with Pharrell Williams, while Rayan Cherki was seen with an oversized Hermès Kelly Maxi.Not everyone has reacted positively to Haaland’s fashion choices. Some social media users questioned why a male athlete would carry luxury handbags. Others defended him, arguing that personal style should not be limited by outdated expectations about gender.Savoie believes attitudes are changing. Speaking to CNN, he said, “I think for so long people have been told what they can and can’t wear, but there’s this shift where people are saying, ‘I don’t care. If it makes me happy, I’m going to wear this in the way I want to wear it.’”The debate is particularly interesting because the HAC itself was originally designed for practical use rather than fashion. Long before luxury handbags became associated with women, Hermès created the bag as a carryall for equestrian equipment.For Haaland, however, the discussion does not appear to be a distraction. While people continue talking about his bags, he remains focused on football, adding another unexpected chapter to a career that already attracts attention around the world.