Within a day of Spain winning the FIFA 2026 World Cup, American Eagle made a bold move. The retailer temporarily rebranded as “Lamine’s Eagles,” honoring Lamine Yamal, Spain’s star player and an American Eagle brand ambassador since January. It also renamed one of its classic jeans The AE 19, after Yamal’s jersey number and age.
Now, the brand is applying the same kind of speed and fluidity to win the back-to-school season. The stakes are high in a busy and competitive retail period, or what chief marketing officer Craig Brommers has dubbed “the World Cup of denim.”
