The official portrait of the England team for the 2022 World Cup
(Picture: M&S)The England squad has jetted off to Qatar ahead of the start of the World Cup on Sunday, but not before they treated us to a group photo of their full team, dressed to the nines in their Sunday best.
Well, sort of. This year is different. Gone is the sixth form-style school photo, with each footballer stuffed into a crisp suit, looking distinctly uncomfortable and rigid.
This is the era of the fashion footballer, comfortable with editorial shoots, familiar with donning something a little out of their comfort zone for a photo op.
While it’s not quite Marcus Rashford on the cover of British Vogue, this year’s official team portrait is embracing the new and eschewing awkward traditions.
Phil Foden embraces his captain, Harry Kane, and teammate Kalvin Phillips. Jack Grealish grins with an arm around Declan Rice, as Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson seems to laugh through a smile next to them.
Everyone is smiling, actually. And everyone is clad in pristine M&S outfits - the picture of smart casual - without a three piece suit in sight. Not even Southgate is wearing his trademark waistcoat.
M&S is England’s official tailor for this World Cup, and they’ve kitted the boys out in navy jackets (some bombers, some Harringtons) and matching trousers, with Southgate the only participant to be wearing an actual suit jacket with lapels, but even this is very “smasual”.
Underneath the jackets, the team are dressed in merino wool jumpers and quarter-zip polo shirts, paired with black socks and shined black loafers. All of the items are available to buy from M&S, which might be why it feels more like an ad campaign than an official portrait, but it works. The jackets the team can be seen in cost a modest £79, the merino wool jumper £45, polo £39.50, and Southgate’s special lapelled jacket could be yours for £90.
Interestingly, the England x M&S collection features full suits, it even has velvet double breasted tuxedos, but the conscious choice to put the squad in a more relaxed outfit has paid off.
M&S director of menswear Wes Taylor said that this was borne from meeting the team and discussing the collection, saying: “They wanted something that better reflected who they really are.”
He continued: “So rather than a structured suit, shirt and tie ‘uniform’, we’ve created more extensive smart separates that place comfort, performance, and sustainability at their heart.”
After all, it does look more natural than their 2018 World Cup portrait, where all players are dressed in three piece suits like a Gareth Southgate lookalike convention. If Marcus Rashford’s facial expression between the two pictures is anything to go by, this team is much happier with their chilled out style - and probably a lot comfier, too.
