What sunglasses do football players wear?

In recent years, the eyewear sector has managed to carve out an increasingly important space in sportswear, particularly in football. Football is not a sport where eyewear brands easily emerge, considering that it's rare for footballers to need to wear this type of accessory. For example, analyzing Oakley, a leading company in the industry, the only footballer we usually associate with it is Edgar Davids, who throughout his illustrious career with Ajax, Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Tottenham, Inter, and the Dutch National Team has contributed to the fame of the Racing Jacket model. Edgar Davids used glasses out of necessity: during his time with Juventus, he underwent surgery for glaucoma, and from that moment, the accessory became essential and, of course, iconic.

The peak of sunglasses fame in the football world, however, is happening right now. It has been achieved through the off-field style choices of two footballers (both French) playing in the Spanish Liga: we are talking about Jules Koundé and Eduardo Camavinga. The first, in an interview with GQ France for the 10 Essentials format, declared that one of the indispensable items in his daily routine is the Romeo X Metal model from Oakley. His passion for sunglasses had already been discovered through numerous tunnel fits of Barcelona and the photos regularly posted on his Instagram profile. The most incredible aspect is that innovative performance models were not needed to facilitate Oakley's "new entry" into football.

Oakley in football

So, for Koundé, Oakley's vast archive (which also includes the historic Eye Jacket 1.0, released in 1994) represents a valid alternative to his pair of Prada glasses, which he usually proudly wears. In a way, the Barcelona defender has managed to create a connection with the world of basketball, following his previously mentioned obsession with tunnel fits. The Romeo X Metal model is immediately associated with one of the most iconic images in NBA history, the celebrations of the Chicago Bulls for the 1998 title win. We all remember Michael Jordan wearing it in episodes of The Last Dance, which narrated that magical final ride. Jules Koundé's unexpected passion for Oakley could open up new strategies for the company in the football sector, following Kylian Mbappé becoming a global brand ambassador.

Camavinga and Nike

On the other hand, Camavinga recently got into a significant controversy due to a pair of glasses. The player was forced to delete his Instagram story, a collage of 24 photos, each featuring a selfie of a Real Madrid player wearing his glasses. While this might seem normal, the issue arose because Camavinga's glasses, worn by all members of the Blancos squad, are made by Nike, and most Real Madrid players are sponsored by adidas, Nike's main competitor. Even if none of the players were sponsored by adidas, Camavinga still had to remove the selfie from Instagram: the photos were taken in the Real Madrid dressing room, entirely branded by adidas, a sponsor that contributes €120 million annually to the club. In short, players cannot promote a rival brand, even if it's just a joke that happened in the locker rooms. Beyond the amusing part, this incident highlights a general interest among footballers in this accessory, which is not taken for granted considering the silhouette and visibility of Camavinga's Nike glasses.

Fashion Brands

In that collage, Éder Militão, a defender for Real Madrid, appeared at the Man of the Year evening event by GQ Spain on November 30, wearing sunglasses paired with a sparkling Fendi suit, the same one worn by K-pop star NuNew. Did we expect this? Perhaps we should have, considering that during the celebrations of the last Champions League won by Real Madrid (2021/2022), the defender took to the field wearing Louis Vuitton Millionaires sunglasses. Whether this trend is due to footballers developing a more sophisticated taste in clothing is undeniable, with an increased interest that is also extending to accessories.

For example, before Koundé, Camavinga, Militão, or the usual Bellerín, we don't easily recall many examples of footballers wearing sunglasses from a bygone football era. Apart from Davids, who is a unique case as he used glasses primarily to correct his vision, we can praise the old and foresighted off-field style of Alessandro Del Piero: the photos of him wearing Persol models with his unique style acquire an even more special flavor now that contemporary footballers seem to want to emulate him. Can we start talking about Del Piero-core?