2018 will mark 20 years of partnership between FC Barcelona and kit manufacturer Nike, and if the latest leaks are to be believed, the sportswear giants will be providing the Blaugrana a classic look to mark the anniversary.
The 2018-19 season will see main shirt sponsor Rakuten return for the second consecutive season after signing a $200 million deal back in November of 2016.
So remember how in 2016 Nike rolled out all their international kits with the Vapor template? You might not because it was a complete non-event. The USA looked like Portugal looked like England looked like PSG. The kits were “modern” in design, which is PR speak for indistinguishable, homogeneous, money-grubbing attire.
Well, here comes the 2018 World Cup, the perfect time to check all those boxes again. But instead of the Vapor template, we now get the Aeroswift template (the collar is different!). Just take my $120 now.
Here’s Portugal…
Over the course of nearly 15 years, Lionel Messi has come to symbolize the Adidas brand in the world of football. Since signing with the sportswear giant back in 2005, the Argentinian wizard has since put pen to paper on a lifetime deal with the company. In between, 2011 saw the revealing of his own brand crest, the superhero-like “M” which has adorned his boots ever since.
Let’s track the evolution of Messi’s cleats from his debut in 2004, back when he was rocking Nikes, to the present day.