Nike is investigating a design flaw affecting several national team kits ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, after visible issues emerged during the recent international break.

The problem, described as bulging around the shoulder seams, has been particularly on kits worn by teams including England national football team, France national football team, and Uruguay national football team.

A spokesperson for Nike acknowledged the issue, noting that while player performance is not affected, the visual quality “is not where it needs to be.” The company emphasized that it is working swiftly to resolve the problem for both players and fans.

Nike supplies kits for a wide range of teams participating in the tournament, including co-host nations Canada and United States, as well as countries such as Brazil, Netherlands, Croatia, and South Korea.

The seam issue appears on both the high-performance “match” shirts worn by players and the more widely sold “stadium” versions for supporters, prompting complaints from fans who have already purchased the kits. In the UK, the England stadium shirt is priced at £89.99, while the match version retails at £134.99.

Nike has been the official kit manufacturer for England’s men’s and women’s teams since 2013, and the company reiterated its commitment to maintaining high product standards.

The kits were engineered with performance cooling technology to help players cope with the expected high temperatures during matches across the host countries—United States, Canada, and Mexico—when the tournament kicks off on 11 June.

England are scheduled to begin their campaign on 17 June against Croatia national football team in Arlington, Texas, while Scotland national football team will face Haiti national football team on 14 June in Massachusetts.

Leicester City have lost their appeal against a six-point deduction for breaching financial rules, leaving the club facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation from the Championship.

The penalty, imposed in February by an independent commission, initially dropped the Foxes from 17th to 20th place. Since then, their form has deteriorated further, with the team now in the relegation zone and one point from safety with five matches remaining.

The case originated from charges brought by the Premier League in May 2025, relating to breaches of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) during the 2023–24 campaign. At the time, Leicester were competing in the Championship.

Under PSR regulations, clubs are permitted to lose up to £105m over a three-year period, though this limit is reduced by £22m for each season spent outside the top flight. Following their relegation, the English Football League (EFL) took over the case and found Leicester guilty of exceeding the adjusted threshold.

The club argued that their financial assessment should cover a 36-month period rather than 37 months, citing delays in submitting their 2023–24 accounts. However, the commission ruled in favour of a 36-month calculation, determining that Leicester had overspent by £20.8m above the £83m limit.

Leicester described the original punishment as “disproportionate” when it was announced on 5 February and lodged an appeal shortly afterwards, just a day after appointing Gary Rowett as interim head coach until the end of the season.

Since the deduction, results have declined sharply, with the team managing just one win in 12 matches across all competitions. The combination of poor form and the points penalty has left Leicester at risk of a second successive relegation.

In a statement, the club said: “With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch.

“We know this has been a challenging period, and we thank our supporters for the backing they continue to give the team. The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands.”

With little margin for error, Leicester must now rely on a strong finish to preserve their Championship status.

An investigation into the death of Swiss cyclist Muriel Furrer has found she was not discovered for 82 minutes after crashing during the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich.

The 18-year-old died after leaving the road in wet conditions during the junior road race and crashing into a wooded area near her hometown. According to the Zurich Public Prosecutors’ Office, the accident occurred out of sight of race officials, spectators, and support vehicles.

Investigators said Furrer lay hidden in undergrowth and was not visible from the road, which contributed to the delay in locating her. Her disappearance was not immediately reported, and she was only found more than an hour later before being airlifted to hospital, where she died from a head injury.

Despite the circumstances, prosecutors concluded there was “no evidence of criminal conduct or negligence” by organisers. The race had been overseen by a local committee alongside the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

At the time of the incident, neither GPS tracking nor race radios were permitted in the World Championships—unlike in events such as the Tour de France—a factor that may have delayed the response. Following the tragedy, the UCI introduced GPS tracking for the 2025 championships in Rwanda to monitor riders’ locations in real time.

Cyclists’ union representatives have argued that such safety measures should have been implemented earlier to prevent similar incidents.

The findings come shortly after another serious crash involving British rider Tom Pidcock at the Volta a Catalunya, where he fell into a ravine unnoticed by organisers but was able to communicate with his team via radio.

In tribute, the UCI retired Furrer’s race number—84—from women’s junior road races, honouring her memory as calls continue for improved safety protocols in the sport.