In Pictures

Photos: Funky fan fashion turns World Cup into striking spectacle

With their eye-catching gear, body paint and colourful attire, supporters have transformed football tournament in Qatar.

man in bald eagle mask — A USA fan sports a bald eagle mask ahead of the team's match against the Netherlands. The round of 16 clash ended with the Netherlands beating the USA 3-1.[Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

By Showkat Shafi and Sorin Furcoi

From colourful wigs and body-painting designs to elaborate masks and dresses made out of flags, fans from every corner of the planet have gone to great lengths to bring their best football party outfits to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

The eye-catching spectacle in the stadiums and the streets of the host country has accompanied the action on the pitch, turning heads and drawing amusement.

Go through our gallery below to see some of the most striking sartorial choices by supporters of the teams vying for international football’s top trophy.

Super fan Hector Chavez from Mexico. — Hector Chaves, age 59, together with his son, pictured outside Lusail Stadium ahead of Mexico's November 30 encounter with Saudi Arabia. This was the 481st time that Chaves would see Mexico play live. The match ended with a 2-1 victory for Mexico, but the result meant that both times failed to qualify to the round of 16. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

An England fan celebrates, his face painted in the team's white and red colours. — An English fan has his face painted to resemble the flag of England and match his clothing, wig and sunglasses. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

A French fan wears a hat in the style of French royalty, a funky match with his vest displaying a badge collection - all assorted in the colours of the French flag. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Cameroon fans dressed in colourful attire cheer for their team at Al Janoub Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Monday, November 28, 2022 [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera] — Cameroon fans wear elaborate dresses and wigs in the colours of the country's flag. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

brazil fan — A Brazil fan dressed in the country's flag colours at Lusail Stadium before the November 24 game against Serbia. Brazil were the 2-0 winners. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Senegal fans line up with their painted bodies spelling the country's name. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Ecuador fans were among the loudest in the tournament. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Netherlands fan — A fan of the Netherlands team, also known as the Oranje, has his face painted matching a wig in his team's predominant colour. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Costa Rica and Spain fans in shiny outfits cheer together ahead of the November 23 match. Spain came on top 7-0. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

It's all smiles for these Spain fans donning funky wigs. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Morocco fans dressed with lion masks cheer for their team, nicknamed the Atlas Lions, ahead of the round of 16 match against Spain at Education City Stadium. Morocco beat Spain in the penalty process to reach the quarter-finals. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

A Qatar fan is wearing a hat and face paint matching the host country's flag, which is wrapped around his shoulders. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

South Korea fans — South Korean fans wearing their country's flag colours. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

England fans dressed as the Batman and Robin superheroes. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Australian fan — Australia fans donning their team's colours hold a kangaroo mascot. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Saudi fan — A Saudi Arabia fan dressed as a "Green Falcon", the nickname of his team, cheers ahead of the match against Poland at Education City Stadium. Poland won the November 26 encounter 2-0. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Germany fans sporting football-themed hats in the stands of Al Bayt Stadium before the December 1 match against Costa Rica, which ended with a 4-2 victory for the European side. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

swiss — A Switzerland fan wearing a cow suit and a hat with his country's flag pictured outside Lusail Stadium before the match against Portugal on December 6. His team lost 6-1, failing to qualify for the quarter-finals. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]