William Saliba is now being presented as more than one of Arsenal’s best players.
The French defender features in GQ All-Stars, a World Cup-linked project that brings together footballers from different countries and frames them through style, profile and personality.
Saliba is part of a wider lineup that includes names such as Christian Pulisic, Gavi, Endrick, Reece James, Omar Marmoush, Scott McTominay, Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan Tah.
For Saliba, the feature reflects his growing status.
At Arsenal, he has become central to Mikel Arteta’s team and one of the Premier League’s leading centre-backs.
He is no longer just discussed as a top defender. He is now one of the faces of Arsenal, and GQ placing him in a World Cup-themed fashion project shows how far his profile has travelled.
The photos show Saliba in a polished editorial setting, away from the usual matchday or kit-launch environment. He is styled sharply, placed at the centre of the frame and presented as a footballer with appeal beyond the pitch.
But once the pictures began circulating online, supporters noticed something unexpected, but familiar.
In the background of some pictures in the Saliba shoot, Arsenal fans spotted a familiar face: the supporter known simply as “Coat Guy.”
The cameo was later confirmed by Coat Guy himself. On social media, he described it as an “incredible link up with William Saliba” on the GQ France All-Stars shoot, making clear that his appearance was part of the project rather than a case of fans mistaking someone in the background.
Incredible link up with William Saliba on the @GQ_France All Stars shoot ❤️🫡 #Believe #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/01VhLXkKUG
— CoatGuy (@CoatGuyOfficial) June 3, 2026
The Coat Guy became known during the 2023/24 season, when cameras repeatedly picked him out at Arsenal matches wearing the same coral brown work coat and flat cap.
The look became instantly recognisable. Fans started calling him Coat Guy because of the coat, and the repeated appearances led to fans joking that he looked like a video-game NPC, a background character who is always there, always dressed the same, and somehow part of every scene.
He is reportedly a season ticket holder, seated in the North Bank end of the Emirates, wearing the same coat-and-flat-cap combination that turned him into one of Arsenal’s most recognisable crowd figures.
And he has used this opportunity wisely, building a small personal brand around the meme through his @CoatGuyOfficial accounts and CoatGuy.com.
It also placed him in a wider tradition: football clubs using supporter culture, celebrity fandom and terrace characters as part of their image.
Celebrity supporters such as Idris Elba, Daniel Kaluuya, Mo Farah, Anne Hathaway, Andrew Garfield and Piers Morgan have all added to the club’s cultural profile. But Coat Guy is different. He was not famous before Arsenal; he became famous because of Arsenal.
And he is not the only fan to become famous simply through their support of the club.
Notably, John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood, the Portsmouth supporter known for his bell, tattoos and blue-and-white matchday look, has become part of Fratton Park folklore.
And also Speedo Mick, the Everton fan and charity fundraiser known for attending games and walking long distances in blue trunks, became a recognisable figure far beyond Goodison Park.
The Wealdstone Raider, whose real name is Gordon Hill is also one of the most infamous fans in England.
⚽👊 The Wealdstone Raider 👊⚽ pic.twitter.com/R661uUpdDd
— 🇬🇧📺 Classic British TV 📺🇬🇧 (@Classicbritcom) May 21, 2026
Going viral after the “you want some?” clip at a non-league match, he became an internet cult figure, released a charity single, and is one of the best examples of a normal supporter becoming famous through one football moment.
Arsenal have also had their own version of supporter fame apart from this, through AFTV, where regular fans like Robbie Lyle, Claude, Troopz, DT and others became recognisable Arsenal fan personalities.
Coat Guy, however, became famous simply by supporting the club. He was not performing for the cameras or trying to build a profile; he was just there, week after week, in the same coat and flat cap, until Arsenal fans turned him into one of the Emirates’ most recognisable faces.
