Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits

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.