In case you hadn’t noticed there is a little soccer/futbol tournament happening this summer called the World Cup! Well consider the hype surrounding the event to be officially underway. Pre-tourney friendlies have already begun, and last week Nike unveiled the first of the official team jerseys. We happened to score an invite to the unveiling by Nike of the swag for the U.S. and Portugal National teams and found out these ain’t your dad’s jerseys as they are tricked out with some inspired design, special tech and eco-friendly components that would impress even the biggest stalwart.
The Look
Portugal
The design for Team Portugal’s World Cup home jersey celebrates the Portuguese Football Federation’s centenary by boasting a tonal design of dark red and bright red stripes on the top half and sleeves. On either side of the Portuguese Football Federation’s crest are the years 1914 and 2014 to commemorate their centenary. Inside the back of the neck is a red-and-green pennant tab featuring an Armillary Sphere to herald Portugal’s seafaring history. Nike didn’t miss any details as the name and numbers on the back of the home jersey have been specially created, and are inspired by the old typefaces used on traditional Portuguese signage.
USA
The United States Men’s National team definitely went old school this time around. The jersey has a white body and sleeves with gray horizontal pinstripes across the body and sleeves, as well as a white polo collar with a red trim. Complementing the body is the US Soccer patch on the left and the Nike insignia on the right. Also, as an ode to the country’s roots, the original 13 stars of the American Flag have been cleverly placed inside the back of the neck.
The Tech
Always seeking to innovate when it comes to performance technology Nike didn’t forget enhancing functionality on this gear. Let’s face it Brazil is hot. According to Nike, these jerseys “help regulate body temperature over the course of a match by using a combination of Nike’s signature Dri-FIT technology, mesh panels and laser cut ventilation holes.” Explaining the rationale for the design, Creative Director for Nike, Martin Lotti stated “[by] managing sweat and keeping the body cooler longer, players feel more comfortable, sweat less and perform better.”
The Footprint
In the interesting factoid department these jerseys are distinguishable in a commendable way. 96% of the featured fabric in the shirts are made from recycled plastic bottles, with each kit in total using an average of 18 recycled bottles. Talk about reducing your carbon footprint!!
The new national team uniforms are currently available in Nike stores and on nike.com.