Aymeric Laporte revives famous ‘Why not?’ message on Spain shirt

Aymeric Laporte brought back one of Spain’s most recognisable World Cup phrases when he arrived at the national team’s training base wearing a shirt bearing the words “Why not?”

Spain’s squad gathered on Tuesday to prepare for the four UEFA Nations League matches they will play during the current international break. As usual, attention focused on what each player wore when arriving at the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas, Madrid.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Athletic Bilbao defender Laporte was among those to receive the biggest reaction. It was not because of an elaborate or daring outfit: he wore a plain white shirt and ordinary trousers.

The detail that caught the eye was the message printed across the front of the shirt in black. “Why not?” was the phrase Laporte used during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and it has gained renewed attention during the 2026 tournament, particularly after Spain won the World Cup on 19 July.

The story began on 21 November, four years ago, at a Spain press conference before the team’s opening match at an unusual World Cup staged in winter because of the high temperatures.

A journalist, Anton Meana, asked the Athletic Bilbao player why he believed Spain could win the trophy. Laporte replied with the short phrase that would later become closely associated with him: “Why not?”

The response quickly became a talking point, despite its simplicity. Laporte’s appearance at the training camp has now brought the words back into focus, linking his current international duty with the moment they first became widely known.

The detail was also noticed by users on X, who filled the social media platform with comments including “I adore him” and “I love him so much”.