Pedro Neto Cuts Holes in His Nike Mercurial Boots, Boots Tear at Pre-Cut Hole
Jul 7, 2026, by Chris
- Torn Boot Incident: During a World Cup match, Pedro Neto's pink Nike Mercurial boot appeared destroyed after a tackle, leading him to swap footwear, though his replacement pair also featured a hole.
- Deliberate Customization: Neto intentionally cuts holes in his boots to relieve pressure and pain caused by Haglund's deformity, a medical condition that creates a bony enlargement on the heel.
- Common Professional Practice: This boot modification is not unique to Neto, as other high-profile players like Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino have also been seen making similar cutouts to manage the same heel condition.
During the 2026 World Cup match between Portugal and Spain, Pedro Neto caught the attention of fans after one of his pink Nike Mercurial boots appeared to be destroyed following a tackle. The winger showed the torn heel collar to the referee and briefly played on before swapping his footwear. However, spectators quickly noticed that his replacement pair also featured a hole in the heel.
Neto Cuts Hole in Nike Mercurial Boots
The hole in the damaged boot differed from the one in the replacement. His first pair tore at a pre-cut hole, which made the boot too unstable to keep wearing, so he switched to a second pair with the deliberately cut, more controlled hole instead.
The pre-cut hole is a specific customization used by professional players to relieve pressure and pain caused by Haglund's deformity. This medical condition involves a bony enlargement on the back of the heel that can lead to severe friction and blisters when rubbing against the stiff heel counter of modern football boots. By cutting out a section of the upper, Neto removes the direct contact point, allowing him to play comfortably without aggravating the sensitive area.
Neto is not the first high-profile player to make this exact modification to his boots. Other stars, such as Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, have previously been spotted with similar cutouts in the heel area of their footwear to manage the same condition.
Adidas Modifies Spain Training Kits with Makeshift Two Stars
Following Spain's triumph at the 2026 World Cup, which secured their second global title, Adidas officially updated the national team's match kits with two gold stars and the central FIFA World Champions badge. However, a closer look at the squad's recent training camp reveals that a makeshift approach was taken for their daily training gear. Huge thanks to What the Kit for the great spot.
Instead of producing new batches of training shirts, Adidas and the Spanish federation chose to repurpose existing stock. Detailed photographs of defender Aymeric Laporte in the blue training top clearly show that the original single star above the crest was peeled away, with two smaller stars heat-pressed onto the fabric above the shield. The faint adhesive imprint and outline of the removed single star remain visibly stamped into the fabric.
While fans can purchase proper factory-made two-star home and away match shirts, the national team's training apparel provides an intriguing look at equipment room logistics at the highest level. Modifying already produced gear reduces waste, so it is actually a good act.
Close-Up Look: Adidas Predator Touch 1996 Remake Boots Leaked
Following its recent on-pitch appearance during training with Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp, new close-up images have surfaced providing the most detailed look yet at the upcoming Adidas Predator Touch 2026 remake boots. Celebrating 30 years since the iconic model made its debut at Euro 1996, the reissue faithfully revives the original's classic black, white, and red design, highlighted by a premium leather upper, directional rubber grip fins across the vamp, and the silhouette's signature oversized red fold-over tongue. The heritage upper is combined with a modernised Predator soleplate for elite performance, with a limited-edition launch scheduled for November 2026.
Adidas Originals Fenerbahçe 26-27 Goalkeeper Kit Released
Fenerbahçe and Adidas have officially released the green 26-27 goalkeeper kit featuring the iconic Trefoil logo. Designed as part of the Turkish club's away gear, the long-sleeved green and navy template worn by goalkeeper Ederson Moraes has now gone on sale in both the club's flagship Fenerium Maraton store and online via Fenerium for 6,999 TL.
David Beckham Teases New Adidas Predator 26 Signature Boots
David Beckham has taken to Instagram to tease his upcoming Adidas Predator 26 signature football boots. Sharing close-up preview shots to his story alongside a "48 hours to go..." countdown tagging Adidas Football, the England legend provided the first official glimpse of the boots ahead of their imminent release on Tuesday, October 6.
Following previous signature editions in 2024 and 2025, this 26-27 release marks the third consecutive year that Adidas has honored Beckham with a bespoke Predator model. The cleat features a clean white and vibrant red palette inspired by England. Prominently displayed in the teaser images are Beckham's iconic free-kick silhouette on the heel, custom "BECKHAM" lettering across the elastic tongue strap, and a bold red Adidas Originals Trefoil visible through the translucent soleplate beneath an all-over Trefoil pattern.
Built on the standard Predator 26 silhouette with a classic fold-over tongue, the boot balances modern performance technology with nostalgic heritage styling. The timing of the launch also aligns with the 25th anniversary of Beckham's famous stoppage-time free-kick against Greece on October 6, 2001, capping off a major commemorative week for the brand and its long-time ambassador.
Amiens SC Add Pink Details to 26-27 Home Kit for Pink October
French side Amiens SC have introduced a special update to their 26-27 Puma home kit in support of the annual Octobre Rose (Pink October) breast cancer awareness and screening campaign. Debuted during their 3-0 victory against FC Villefranche at the Stade Crédit Agricole de la Licorne, the club's traditional black-and-white halved home strip was revamped with vibrant pink details.
The customized kit features eye-catching pink names and squad numbers on the back, along with pink-tinted sponsor graphics, including Intersport and Igol. Completing the tribute is a small pink ribbon placed prominently on the right chest just above the Puma cat branding.
Amiens SC confirmed that the special pink printing is not a one-match appearance; the team will also wear the modified kit during their upcoming away match against Valenciennes FC later this month.
Alianza Universidad 2026 Special Kit Released
Peruvian club Alianza Universidad de Huánuco and local manufacturer Real Sport have officially unveiled a special commemorative kit for the 2026 season. Launched under the slogan "Vestimos nuestra fe" (We wear our faith), the release embraces Peru's deep-rooted October tradition of donning purple to pay homage to religious heritage, specifically honoring the Señor de Burgos, the patron saint of Huánuco.
The Real Sport Alianza Universidad 2026 special shirt swaps the team's customary red and blue palette for a striking purple and white striped look. It features bold purple vertical stripes across the front, complemented by a purple crew neck and matching sleeve trim on white sleeves. On the upper back sits an intricate graphic badge depicting the Señor de Burgos, accompanied by the inscription "Rey y Patrón de Huánuco", while squad numbers are rendered in gold with purple outlines.
The special edition kit is set to make its on-pitch debut during October Liga 2 action and is currently available via pre-order through the club's official channels.
Adidas Reuses Spain’s 2026 Training Kits
During recent UEFA Nations League training sessions, Spain was spotted using old training jerseys with one star removed and two additional stars printed above the logo. The imprint of the old star remains visible on the shirts.
This case is reminiscent of another interesting situation involving the Argentina futsal team at the 2021 Futsal World Cup. Despite being the defending champions, Argentina was not provided bespoke kits by Adidas and had to use standard jerseys, from which two stars were removed and replaced with one, as they had only won the Futsal World Cup once.
Big thanks to @whatthekit_x for the collages.
Chelsea 26-27 Home Kit Leaked
Based on leaked details from myach_lab, our partner @whatthekit_x have created a mockup of the Chelsea 2026-27 shirt. The design combines a blue base with yellow details and a distinctive checkered sleeve pattern, while the Nike and Chelsea logos are placed centrally. The simplified lion crest from this season is also retained.