NIKE reveals national football kits ahead of 2016's major championships

NIKE reveals national football kits ahead of 2016’s major championships
(above) the england national team models the new kit

ahead of a summer packed with major tournaments, NIKE has unveiled an array of kits ready to take the pitch. the home and away jerseys of nine national teams have been revealed, all of which feature the latest in fabric construction, performance technology, moisture management, and environmental sustainability. the 2016 european championships will see england, france, portugal, poland, croatia, and turkey don their new NIKE gear, while the US national team will compete alongside brazil and chile in june’s copa américa. see all of the new kits in more detail below.

england 2016 national home kit

england’s new home and away kits are predominantly white and red, respectively. the home kit features a classic white body with contrasting light blue shoulders and sleeves. on the chest, engineered knit zones create a geometric pattern that enhances fit, with smaller mesh shapes at the bottom of the graphic. odes to national pride appear on both the interior and exterior of the shirt, including the graphic crest alongside the worlds ‘england’  knitted into the back collar. the reverse of the crest reveals a rose graphic, referencing the symbol that was embroidered onto early england caps in the 19th century. the sides of the kit have a blue stripe that runs the length of the shirt and continues down the shorts.

england 2016 national away kit

neymar sports the brazil 2016 national home kit

brazil — the most decorated nation in global football — will step onto the pitch in new NIKE vapor kits. the vibrant ‘canarihno’ yellow and vivid blue themes of brazil’s home and away kits have been united with NIKE aeroswift technology. the federation crest is surrounded by five stars, while the words ‘brasil’, ‘amor’ (love) and ‘orgulho’ (pride) also adorn the jersey. the inside of the body reveals the iconic diamond of the brazilian flag encircled by the rallying cry ‘nascido para jogar futebol’ (born to play football). the sides of the kit feature a green stripe that runs the length of the shirt. 

brazil 2016 national home kit

brazil 2016 national away kit

cristiano ronaldo models the portugal 2016 national home kit

the portugal national team’s new home and away kits feature red and green themes. the home jersey features a vivid red body with deeper garnet red shoulders and sleeves. the word ‘portugal’ is knit into the back collar, while ‘nação’ (nation) and ‘valente’ (brave), representing the adventurous spirit of the culture, are knit into the inside cuffs. the interior of the body reveals an armillary sphere — a storied navigation tool that to pays homage to the country’s seafaring heritage.

each jersey incorporates NIKE AeroSwift technology

portugal 2016 national away kit

the U.S. national football team debuts the men’s and women’s uniforms

the US national football team unveils classic white and bold black themes for their respective 2016 home and away kits. the uniforms proudly feature the new united states soccer federation crest, which consists of a modernized shield with ‘USA’ in a new navy blue font, placed above a series of vertical red and white stripes. the new men’s home shirt features a traditional white body and blue sleeves; the women’s shirt features a white v-neck collar with a red trim at the back. phrases like ‘1 nation’ and ‘1 team’ adorn the inside cuffs, while the inside of the body reveals a circular graphic with with ‘USA’ written in the center, surrounded by motivational statements like ‘we can,’ ‘we will,’ and ‘we are’. these statements refer to an inspirational tweet by fan meghan brennan that was displayed on the wall of the USMNT’s dressing room before its famous victory over ghana at the 2014 world cup.

USA 2016 national women’s home kit

USA 2016 national away kit

paul pogba, raphaël varane and anthony martial wear the french kit ahead of hosting euro 2016

france’s home and away NIKE vapor kits are predominantly blue and white. the new home kit features a hyper-cobalt blue body with contrasting darker shoulders and sleeves. on the chest, engineered knit zones create a geometric pattern that enhances fit, with smaller mesh shapes at the bottom of the graphic. odes to national pride appear on the interior of the shirt as the team crest, and words ‘france’, ‘fierte’ (pride) and ‘bleu’ (blue). the inside of the body reveals a hexagonal graphic, representing the diverse, multi-cultural composition of modern france, framed by the message ‘nos differences nous unissent’ (our differences unite us). the sides have a black stripe that runs the length of the shirt, with matching shorts.

france 2016 national home kit

turkey 2016 national home kit

as they seek to emerge as a major power in european football, the turkey national football team unveils new red and black home kits, and turquoise and white away kits. each features a gradient graphic of micro geometric shapes — reminiscent of the mosaics characteristic of byzantine architecture. on the home kit, this graphic begins in black at the back hem of the shirt and transforms into a powerful red as it spreads up towards the shoulders. on the away shirt, the motif changes from bright turquoise to brilliant white. ‘turkey’ appears on the back collar of both shirts.

turkey 2016 national away kit

croatia 2016 national home kit

the new croatian national football kit features a modern take on the red-and-white checkerboard — a coat-of-arms pattern that dates back over 500 years and represents the serenity, bravery and strength the country. the away kit debuts the same pattern in the country’s other signature hue: blue. a further ode to national pride, the word ‘hrvatska’ (croatia), appears on the shirts’ back collars.

luka modrić dons the famous red-and-white checkerboard pattern

croatia 2016 national away kit

alexis sánchez sports the chile 2016 national home kit

the chile national team will take the field in new home and away kits that underscore national pride. the vivid red of the home kit pays tribute to team’s nickname, ‘la roja,’ while the white away kit refers to the country’s snow-capped andes mountain range. the sides of the kits feature blue stripes that run the length of the shirt and shorts. blue socks highlight the most dynamic part of the footballer’s body, the lower legs, to accentuate speed.

chile 2016 national away kit

robert lewandowski wearing the poland 2016 national home kit

as the polish national football team looks to assert its growing on-pitch stature this summer, it unveils new home and away kits in both white and red. the white home kit pays tribute to an enduring symbol of national pride, the eagle, with a grey linear wing graphic across the chest. ‘polska’ appears on the shirt’s back collar, while the sides of the kit introduce a red stripe that runs the length of the shirt and changes to white on the kit’s red shorts.

poland 2016 national away kit