Football's top stars are flexing their well-toned muscles on catwalk runways and in photographic studios
Fashion designers are falling over themselves in an effort to dress and accessorise today's footballers. Giorgio Armani sees them as the 'new Hollywood' while Stefano Gabbana considers them 'icons'.
David Beckham is probably one of the most recognisable men in the world, bar North America, but he is not the only footballer to be wooed by big brands, awarded huge advertising contracts or have his hairstyle and dress sense copied.
The 2002 World Cup, in particular, was also a hairdressers' convention, thanks to the likes of Beckham, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Turkey's Ilhan Mansiz. If you're French and play for Arsenal, there's probably a queue of interested parties representing all manner of labels, chequebooks in hand, at your agent's office. The same goes for much of the Chelsea team. And if you happen to play in Italy, you've got it made.
British GQ featured Arsenal ace Thierry Henry on its front cover in July, while its best-dressed list for the year, published in April, included six footballers and one retired player in its top 50.
No prizes for guessing that Beckham was No1. The others were Arsenal trio Freddie Ljungberg (No6), Henry (No17) and Sol Campbell (No34), ex-footballer turned actor Vinnie Jones (No44), and Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand (No46).