FOOTBALL      FEVER

WHat            FIFA’14 FASHION

WHERE          BRAZIL

Cricket may be Pakistan’s choice of sport (though hockey is the official game) but come FIFA and a whole nation of football enthusiasts joins in for a collective wave of support. We’ll leave merits of each game for the sports desk because what pulls Instep in is the fashion on field. What would football be without David Beckham and Beckham without his style? Our favourite footballer may be retired but the Messis and Machisios, the Neymars and the Ronaldos sweeten up TV screens with enough eye candy to keep trends afloat.

FOOTBALL FOOTGEAR

It’s impossible to not have noticed the two mismatched cleats that several players including Mario Balotelli and Yaya Touré have been wearing. Nike and Adidas may dominate footwear statistics but these evoPower Tricks Cleats from Puma have been catching the eye and will definitely set trends off the field too. We can’t say that wearing mismatched shoes is the best fashion to follow but we do feel it’s a rage that’ll spread like wildfire. So, how many of you will be wearing a pink and teal pair of Pumas this year?

Higher up though is Nike, with the Mercurial Superfly and Magista and Adidas with the Battle Pack range. Interestingly, Messi’s customized cleats have been designed after his colours and Neymar too has the all-gold boot as a tribute to his skills.

Okay, so football hunk Cristiano Ronaldo’s dodgy zigzag hair cut was rated one of the worst trends in history but that was until it emerged (through unconfirmed reports) that the style was created as a tribute to Erik Ortiz Cruz, the boy whose brain surgery Ronaldo had paid for earlier this year. #RESPECT, the following hashtags said. In other head-turning moments, Neymar has gone blonde for FIFA’14 (and we wouldn’t advise even the most die-hard fans to follow) while Olivier Giroud’s undercut-brush up is trendier and can already be seen making the rounds of football followers around town.

Speaking of hair, beards have been setting trends for facial hair, whether it’s Pirlo and his Jesus look, Charles Itandje for his jawline plus memorable hairstyle, Tim Howard, Xavi Alonso and one of our favourites, the Iranian goalkeeper, Aliraza Haghighi.

ICONIC INKING

We still don’t think that any one single footballer is as well inked as Beckham (yes, we still are obsessed) and no one is as iconic as the British bender (yet). That said, players are sporting some interesting and meaningful artwork this World Cup, which is being considered the most comprehensive display of tattoos in the universe! Sergio Ramos, on his left bicep has the dates 9/11 and 3/11 – referring to the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001 and Madrid in 2004. On his two calves he has matching tattoos of the Champions League and World Cup trophies. That’s just four.

Raul Meireles is also probably the World Cup’s most tattooed footballer. That’s two full sleeves, his chest, the back of his neck and a colourful Chinese-style dragon adorning his entire back. The latest in his "collection" – his entire right leg from ankle to thigh covered in ink – was completed in January this year. It includes the faces of three women, a pocket watch and a famous tram in Portuguese capital Lisbon, and a tower in Porto, the last one paying tribute to his hometown. The lists are endless, with most players paying tribute to their hometowns, parents, children and girlfriends as well as soccer wins, trophies and other achievements.

Footballers are fashionable; that’s a no brainer. And topping the list of most stylish footballers ever are Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique (Shakira adds to his style) and Claudio Marchisio. They’ve got the looks, the hair, the style, the success (which adds to the style) and of course, the ultimate athletes’ accessory: the abs! How many times have we swooned at the sight of those shirts coming off at the end of a match?

Football this year is all about the right looks and footballers are said to have taken professional advice for the right haircuts, clothes and accessories. The Italians looked pretty svelte in their Dolce Gabbana suits, Germans in Hugo Boss. One noticed other big brands come out, from Armani Jeans, Lanvin, Paul Smith, Hackett, Trussardi and Roberto Verino. Many critics feel that the whole image-conscious football thing has gotten out of hand but we can’t complain!