Armani, Louis Vuitton, Dior, among many others. For big luxury brands, football is no longer dirty and noisy… quite the opposite: it ensures global attention, loyal communities and is an investment with visibility and cultural relevance.
Luxury brands are returning to football. After a year of distancing, top brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton are beginning to see the king of sport, and sport in general, as an excellent alternative to absolutely saturated markets. And the beginning of 2026 is the ideal period for this rapprochement: this year alone, sports marketing, valued worldwide at 260 billion dollars, is expected to make extraordinary profits with large-scale events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympic Games in Milan, in addition to many other events that promise to flood the sports calendar, events and, of course, many millions.
If a few years ago football was seen as too noisy and with media exposure that was difficult to control (with serious constraints due to corruption and doping in the mix), those responsible for marketing at major global brands in the luxury segment are starting to look at the sport in a different way.
Furthermore, they are beginning to realize that football guarantees something that few sectors guarantee: global attention, loyal communities and a kind of soap opera that sees developments week after week. Therefore, and as the “Palco 23” article on the topic explains, the association of brands with sport no longer happens because it is mandatory to be in football but because this is an investment with visibility and cultural relevance. In this relationship, everyone seems to win.
For sport, this rediscovery of luxury brands also brings challenges and it is not just about revenue but also football’s ability to position itself in relation to other sectors. “Entering this ecosystem means playing in another league from a commercial point of view, elevating the brand and attracting new audiences”, you can read in this “Palco 23” analysis article. Thus, football in particular and sport in general no longer compete only on the field but also do so in the field of image and value.
Dress and monetize
Therefore, many of these luxury brands are closing large deals with big clubs to dress their players and technical staff. In a context as digital as football, globalization and the connection between markets have been explored through advertising campaigns. In the competitive field of economic retribution, few sports have the capacity to assume greater authority to generate business like football. The specialized website “Palco 23” gives the example of Tommy Hilfiger, which signed agreements with Mercedes, a Formula 1 team, had Lewis Hamilton and Rafa Nadal as ambassadors and never had any kind of football connection. Until today. Recently, the luxury brand signed a contract with one of the most recognized brands in world football: Liverpool FC, current champions of England. Tommy Hilfiger now dresses the men’s and women’s first team teams and promotes this connection through global campaigns and on match days.
Barça and Real Madrid: luxury suits them
Next door, in Spain, the luxury brand Amiri also joined FC Barcelona, with the Blaugrana closing an agreement to become the “partner wear” of the first men’s and women’s teams whenever they travel to European matches. It will be like this at least until the end of the 2029-2030 season.
Last summer, and taking advantage of the full potential of the Club World Cup, Real Madrid had already reached an agreement with Louis Vuitton, one of the most internationally recognized luxury brands, to dress the men’s and women’s teams, whenever the Merengues travel to play international matches. The special collection adopted by Real Madrid and endorsed by Louis Vuitton was designed by singer Pharrell Williams.
France and Italy: here, luxury is at home
Naturally, France and Italy could not stay out of this authentic incursion of luxury into football (and in a way, they were even pioneers): if Inter Milan allied itself with the Italian Moncler at the beginning of this decade, PSG joined another brand from the LVMH group, Dior, at a time when Paris was full of stars such as Leo Messi, Neymar Junior and Kilian Mbappé. Nápoles also adorned themselves in this parade by signing an agreement with Emporio Armani, through the sports brand that derives from this luxury seal: EA7.
