Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is no stranger to the spotlight. Standing at two meters tall with shoulder-length blonde hair, his appearance leaves no doubt about his authoritative Nordic genetics. On top of that, he is one of the best footballers on the planet, having led his country's men's national team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in nearly thirty years. However, a couple of weeks ago, stylist and TikToker Jack Savoi drew attention to another passion of Haaland's: his impressive collection of Hermès bags, CNN reports.

"Have you seen Erling Haaland's custom Birkins?" Savoi asked in a video that instantly went viral. "Baby, buckle your seatbelts."

"Okay, the first thing to clarify: it's not exactly a Birkin," Savoi specified in a phone interview. Many of Haaland's bags are actually the Haut à Courroies (HAC) model—the historical predecessor to the Birkin, which features a slightly taller and narrower silhouette. However, this nuance does not diminish the impact of his collection in the slightest.

It appears Haaland has a particular weakness for the Hermès Haut à Courroies (HAC) line. The HAC is a taller predecessor to the Birkin, originally used for carrying equestrian riding gear.

In a video that racked up over 10 million views, Savoi breaks down the football star's accessories in detail. There is the exclusive HAC "Endless Road" model, which he carried down the airplane stairs in North Carolina ahead of the World Cup. The ivory-colored bag is adorned with a mosaic of blue and grey leather, recreating the landscape of a mountain highway. Then there is a textile HAC in forest moss green, and another in a black-and-orange checkerboard pattern. On one occasion, paparazzi even captured a photo where his girlfriend’s Birkin 25, belonging to Isabel Haugseng Johansen, was neatly tucked inside his massive HAC 50.

"A double-Birkin combo at the same time—that was insanely chic," Savoi admires.

Haaland is far from the only footballer with an impeccable taste for Hermès. Argentine genius Lionel Messi travels with a textile HAC 40 Cargo, which is dotted with external pockets, while Dutch defender and recognized fashionista Virgil van Dijk prefers a model in a taupe leather shade. David Beckham also appears to own a modest collection of XL-format bags.

Luxury bags of all kinds have become the main trend of this World Cup. The French men's national team—one of the tournament's top favorites—arrived in the US fully dressed to impress, sporting HAC bags alongside accessories from Chanel and Louis Vuitton. French forward Marcus Thuram carried a bright green suede Maxi Flap bag from the Chanel x Pharrell Williams collaboration, while Rayan Cherki opted for an oversized Hermès Kelly Maxi model.

Breaking the Mold

Nevertheless, it was Haaland’s enviable arsenal that triggered yet another wave of discussions about men and "innocent ladies' handbags." The paradoxical combination of a professional athlete's brutal masculinity with traditionally feminine attributes of ultra-luxury seems to cause a short circuit in the minds of the conservative public.

The comment sections under Haaland's airport photos on social media were instantly flooded with toxic remarks and doubts about his masculinity. "I will never understand why a grown man needs to carry a woman's bag," one Instagram user wrote.

Others, conversely, expressed wild enthusiasm. "So I'm only finding out just now that Haaland is a style icon?!" read another comment.

"I think people have been told what they can and cannot wear for far too long. But right now, a tectonic shift is happening: society is saying 'I don't care,'" Savoi reasons. "If an item makes me happy, I'm going to wear it the way I want." As an example, he points to the growing number of male athletes who take the field wearing delicate fine jewelry (such as Van Cleef & Arpels), even if those pieces were initially associated with women's fashion.

The irony of the situation surrounding the Hermès HAC lies in the fact that this "hyper-feminine" item was created at the end of the 19th century as a purely utilitarian bag for carrying equestrian gear—much like most of the brand's products during that era. The fashion house introduced a bag line aimed specifically at women only decades later, when it expanded its production beyond harness-making and saddlery.