Jude Bellingham shocked fans with a whole new strip and it was not for Real Madrid. The England international has made his case as the latest big name to pose in the iconic Calvin Klein underwear but he is not the first. But looking good in your pants is only half of the story with one ace promised 500 made-to-measure underwear items and another who unveiled a 19 metre poster of himself. And Rafa Nadal took things a step further when he played strip tennis in New York.
While Bellingham gets his kit off, a look back at the times sports stars left their regular uniforms behind reveals a long tradition of athletic fashion campaigns. From football icons to tennis champions and rugby sevens stars, elite competitors have frequently stepped in front of the camera for major global brands. These ventures often coincide with peak athletic achievements, turning champions into mainstream style icons.
Jude Bellingham Channels David Beckham for Calvin Klein
Bellingham brought his trademark celebration in a very different type of shoot and he did not even need to find the back of the net. His debut campaign launched on Monday, but was shot all the way back in August after the 2026 World Cup. The Real Madrid star channeled his inner David Beckham in the tiny briefs, leaving fans stunned. Shot in the Spanish capital, the campaign sees him show off the brand Icon Cotton Stretch range.
He said about the experience, as quoted in reports: I really enjoyed working on this campaign. I liked the idea of the icon underneath that confidence starts with feeling comfortable in yourself.
Cristiano Ronaldo and His 19 Metre Billboard in Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo followed Beckham as the face of Armani underwear and appeared in his first campaign in 2010 after leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid. Over the years, the 41-year-old has become no stranger to an underwear shoot. The Portugal international launched his CR7 underwear range in 2013, posing alongside a 19m poster of himself in his pants at the launch.
The enormous billboard was unveiled at Madrid Palacio de Cibeles, with Ronaldo working alongside stunning designer Richard Chai and Danish manufacturer JBS on the collection.
Rafael Nadal Plays Strip Tennis in New York
Even a game of strip tennis could not bring out Nadal generous side. The Spaniard won three consecutive games at the launch of his Tommy Hilfiger partnership in August 2015. Unfortunately for his opponents, conceding a point meant taking off an item of clothing.
Models including Chanel Iman and Hannah Davis joined him for the event in New York Bryant Park, where the players gradually unveiled the brand underwear. It was not Nadal first modelling job, as he had already posed for Armani in 2011, four years before taking his clothes off entered the rule book.
Freddie Ljungberg Sets the Trend for Arsenal Stars
Arsenal fans knew all about Freddie Ljungberg a long time before his underwear adverts popped up. But the Swede work for Calvin Klein made him a hot topic of conversation. He became a face of the brand in 2003, while still playing for the Gunners, and later posed alongside supermodel Natalia Vodianova.
Their 2006 campaign was snapped up by the cameras in New York, with the pictures lined up for a Times Square billboard and magazines around the world.
Neymar Joins SKIMS After Meeting Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian son played a huge part in getting Neymar involved in the 2023 SKIMS campaign. Football-mad Saint wanted to watch the Brazilian play in Japan, so his mum took him. Speaking to GQ, Kardashian said she had also briefly met Neymar after watching him in France, before he became one of the faces of her first menswear campaign in October that year.
The Brazilian lined up with American football player Nick Bosa and basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the launch. Neymar was no stranger to the photo booth having been signed by Lupo in 2011, when he was still playing for Santos.
Rugby Sevens Stars and Other Notable Athlete Models
Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman kept their rugby boots and socks on for this shoot but little else. Their usual kit was abandoned and replaced with Bluebella lingerie. The GB sevens players posed at Richmond Rugby Club for the brand Strong Is Beautiful campaign in July 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics. The aim was to challenge the idea that strong, muscular women cannot also be feminine, though the campaign received mixed reactions.
Other athletes who stepped into fashion include Gisela Dulko, who appeared in Selu 2012/13 collection after retiring from tennis. James Rodriguez changed 15 times and posed for roughly 2,000 photographs for his J10 James collection with Bronzini Black in August 2014. Biathlete Magdalena Neuner swapped her winter kit for Mey in 2010. Son Heung-min became a Calvin Klein ambassador in South Korea in August 2021. Finally, Italian football stars Fabio Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo, and Gennaro Gattuso stripped for Dolce & Gabbana ahead of the 2006 World Cup.
