Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty ImagesBy the time former PR girl Tolami Benson had set social media and the national press alight at the 2024 Euros – credited with “reviving Wag fever” – it was already her third tournament as a footballer’s significant other. The 25-year-old was mostly confused by the hubbub. “I was just a bit like, ‘Why does everyone care so much?’” she recounts, two years on. It was the cumulative effect of her match-day wardrobe – playful, inventive riffs on the England kit – that set her apart. Reworked jerseys into corset tops; a leather jacket emblazoned with her fiancé, England and Arsenal right-winger, Bukayo Saka’s former number… Benson was just embracing her now-signature “sports chic” style.Now, with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, hosted between the US, Mexico and Canada, Benson is in moodboarding mode, scouting independent designers – including a roster of Nigerian talent to nod to her and Saka’s heritage – to watch the matches in style. First stop? Dallas. Wedding planning, she laughs, can wait: “Let’s get the World Cup out of the way first.”With fiancé – Arsenal and England team sensation – Bukayo Saka
Kontenthaus/Getty ImagesMy match-day non-negotiables…I always have three crepes with golden syrup before a match because I know I’m going to get hungry.My skincare routine…I’m in my bridal era so I get a chemical peel every six weeks. Apart from that, my skincare routine is really stripped back – I was an acne girl – so I use African black soap that my grandma recommended to wash my face, retinol, sun cream and I use an LED face mask before bed. The face mask really freaks Bukayo out.Folk SoapAfrican Black Large Unscented Soap Bar£6.95 Folk SoapSharkCryoGlow Mask£300 SephoraUltra Violette Hydrating Sunscreen SPF50£34 sephoraMy wellness rituals…I’m a prayer warrior; I feel like I pray like an auntie. I also drink a lot of water so I always have my Stanley cup with me. And whenever I’m staying in a hotel, I get a hot-stone massage.StanleyStanley 1913 x Arsenal Quencher® ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler£55 Stanley 1913Before a long-haul flight, I…None of these tips are mine: Naomi Campbell once said to always wear long compression socks, so I steal Bukayo’s. I always do an under-eye mask and use Liquid IV electrolytes. Also, I always get a sore nose on a plane because of the air conditioning, so my mum told me to put Vaseline in my nostrils to soothe it and it works.Otto Masters/Getty ImagesYour game-day style formula?When I came into the football world, I used to just wear the football tops with jeans or shorts, but they never fit me right, so I stopped trying to fit in and started wearing things that worked for me – having to dress for the office and come to football after taught me that. At the game, I want to be with the crowd – I want to jump and be free. It’s about high-low: for example, I’ll pair my Louis Vuitton trainers with an Arsenal jersey and Zara shorts. “Sports chic” is what I like to call it.NikeEngland 2026 Stadium Home Men’s Nike Dri-FIT Football Replica Shirt£89.99 NikeLouis VuittonLV Sneakerina£770 LOUIS VUITTONSeaStasia Pleated Denim Shorts£330 net-a-porterWho makes the best sunglasses?Gentle Monster. The frames are so intricate and beautiful. Every time I wear a pair, I get asked, “Where are they from?”Gentle MonsterOrigami 031 Sunglasses£215 gentle monsterGentle MonsterGhost Y2 Oval Sunglasses£263 Farfetch