Editorial · Long read · Updated 10 May 2026
Ten retired footballers known for off-pitch style. From David Beckham's tailoring to Andrea Pirlo's understated elegance, the icons of football fashion.
By the Anyseatseditors · Sources: club official websites, FIFA & UEFA records, public financial filings
Football's cultural footprint extends well beyond the pitch. Some retired players have shaped fashion magazines, fragrance campaigns and luxury brand collaborations as effectively as they once shaped midfield play. Below is a hand-curated list of ten retired footballers regarded across the industry as icons of off-pitch style, blending tailoring, streetwear, and broader cultural moments.
Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, PSG · retired 2013
David Beckham is the defining football-fashion crossover figure of the modern era. Sarong at the 1998 World Cup, the cornrows of 2003, the bespoke Tom Ford tailoring of his Inter Miami launch in 2018. His DB Eyewear, House 99 grooming line, and partnerships with Adidas, Belstaff and H&M have generated more retail revenue than his entire playing-era salary.
Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, New York City FC · retired 2017
Andrea Pirlo's off-pitch style is defined by understated Italian elegance. Cashmere knits, unstructured tailoring, a discreetly bearded silhouette. Pirlo launched his own wine label (Pratum Coller) in 2009 and has been the face of multiple Italian luxury brand campaigns since retirement. He represents the antithesis of the modern flashy footballer aesthetic.
AC Milan · retired 2009 · single-club career across 25 seasons
Paolo Maldini's status as a style icon was built on his off-pitch wardrobe and his roles in Italian Vogue and Vanity Fair photoshoots. The Maldini family's Milanese tailoring sensibility — passed from his father Cesare to his son Christian — is regarded across fashion media as the gold standard of football-meets-classical-Italian-tailoring.
Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls · retired 2014
Thierry Henry's post-playing career has positioned him as one of football's most refined media personalities. As a Sky Sports and CBS Sports pundit, he's become known for tailored three-piece suits and a calm, measured on-camera presence. Henry's Renault advertising campaigns of the 2000s ("Va Va Voom") remain among the most recognised footballer-led ad campaigns ever.
Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bologna, Fiorentina, Bolton · retired 2006
Hidetoshi Nakata retired at just 29 to focus on his fashion and cultural work. Founded "Take Action Foundation" charity, served as Japan's tourism ambassador, and ran his own Japanese sake brand "N". Has appeared as a Vogue Japan cover subject and is considered the most stylistically influential Asian footballer of his generation.
Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Monaco, Como · retired 2023
Cesc Fàbregas retired in 2023 to take on a player-coach and ownership role at Como, the Serie A club he co-owns alongside Mirwan Suwarso. His off-pitch wardrobe shifted decisively toward Italian tailoring during his Catalan years and has remained classically minimalist since. Fàbregas's transition into a club-ownership and management role has been one of the more refined post-playing pivots in recent football.
Arsenal, West Ham, Seattle Sounders · retired 2012
Freddie Ljungberg was the face of Calvin Klein underwear from 2003 through the late 2000s, becoming one of the first Premier League players to front a major global fashion campaign. His red hair, defined jawline and tattoo work made him a fashion-magazine fixture during Arsenal's Invincibles era. Has remained involved in football as a coach since 2017.
Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona, Manchester United, Helsingborgs · retired 2009
Henrik Larsson's understated style — long dreadlocks during his Celtic years, classical tailoring in his European appearances since retirement — has made him one of Scandinavia's most respected footballer style icons. His son Jordan Larsson followed him into professional football and the family's broader cultural footprint in Sweden remains substantial.
Metz, Marseille, Arsenal, Villarreal, Aston Villa · retired 2015
Robert Pirès's understated Parisian style during his Arsenal years was widely covered by French fashion media. Post-retirement he has remained close to the Arsenal ecosystem as a brand ambassador and matchday-pundit. Has been the face of multiple French fragrance and apparel campaigns since retirement.
Livorno (and various) · retired 2014
Cristiano Lucarelli, the Livorno striker known for his political commitments and tattoo work, became a cult style figure during his Serie A years. His distinctive personal aesthetic — beard, tattoos, working-class identity — set him apart from the polished commercial-icon archetype of his contemporaries and remains influential in Italian football culture.
The takeaway
Retired footballers who become enduring style figures share a few common traits: a clear personal aesthetic established during their playing days, post-retirement business interests in fashion or media, and a willingness to engage with culture beyond the pitch. Beckham remains the commercial reference point. Pirlo and Maldini represent the classical-Italian counterweight. The next generation — Fàbregas, Ljungberg, Henry as media talent — is building on the same foundations.
Frequently asked
David Beckham is widely regarded as the most stylistically influential retired footballer of the modern era. His post-playing brand portfolio (House 99, DB Eyewear, Inter Miami ownership) and his fashion-magazine cover history make him the defining footballer-as-fashion-icon figure since retirement in 2013.
David Beckham has worked with Adidas, Belstaff, H&M, Tudor watches, House 99 (his own grooming line), DB Eyewear (his own eyewear brand), Boss Hugo Boss, and many others. The combined retail revenue of his post-playing brand work has exceeded his playing-era salary by several multiples.
Andrea Pirlo's style is defined by understated Italian elegance: cashmere knits, unstructured tailoring, a discreet beard, and a wine label (Pratum Coller, launched in 2009). His aesthetic is the antithesis of the flashy modern footballer archetype and has made him one of Italian football's most respected style figures.
Yes. Freddie Ljungberg was the face of Calvin Klein underwear from 2003 through the late 2000s. One of the first Premier League players to front a major global fashion campaign. His Arsenal Invincibles-era profile made him one of the most photographed Premier League footballers of his generation.
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