Only Black Boots Allowed? Manchester City Players Wear Colored Boots in UEFA Youth League
Update: We decided to update this article as we received several messages by our followers who wondered why Man City's players wear wearing colored boots in today's UEFA Youth League match against Barcelona and not blackout cleats. The reason is simple. Manchester City's boot rule only affects U18s players, in opposite to Man Utd's boot rule which affects all youth players.
Manchester City's Boot Rule Only Affects U18s Players
Man Utd's players were forced to wear blackout cleats when they played in UEFA's youth league.
Manchester City has disallowed all of their U18s players to wear colored boots as part of a system aimed at making Pep Guardiola spoilt for choice with young talent at Manchester City.
Interestingly, Man City is not the first club to introduce a black boots rule, but follows up city rivals Man Utd who banned players from its academy teams in to wear colored boots in 2010, reacting to the flashy releases from Adidas, Nike and pretty much all other brands.
Manchester City's New Boot Rule Part of Youth Strategy
The policy of only allowing black boots is part of the Blues' mantra of ensuring that their players are level-headed as well as talented and technically excellent, which forms a key element in a youth strategy. The head of academy coaching Jason Wilcox feels will end up leaving first team manager Pep Guardiola 'spoilt for choice' in terms of young stars.
We want people to represent Manchester City the right way
Wilcox said in an interview with The Mirror about the new rules at Man City two days ago: "There is nothing worse for me than to see a high-profile footballer who has no manners or respect for other people. Yes, you do have to be single-minded, but you can still be respectful to others. It doesn’t matter whether a boy is speaking to one of the cleaning ladies or the CEO, we demand that they show respect. We want people to represent Manchester City the right way – not just in a sky-blue shirt, but when they are away from the club as well."
Nike's Man City 16-17 home kit was presented by youth players - They were allowed to wear colored boots until October
Should even more clubs have a rule like this? Do you know more teams that have a boot rule (apart from Tijuana)? Let us know in the comments below.
Nike x G-Dragon South Korea 2026 World Cup Collection Debuted
In the recent match between South Korea and Mexico, the South Korean players wore special anthem jackets and pre-match shirt from a lifestyle collection created in collaboration with global star G-Dragon.
Black/Green Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 Boots Spotted
In the opening match between Haiti and Scotland, left-back Martin Expérience was spotted wearing the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 boots in a black/green colorway. It is expected to be released soon.
Livingston FC 26-27 Home Kit Released
Livingston FC have officially unveiled their new 2026027 home kit, made by Joma.
The new Joma Livingston FC 2026-27 home shirt features a dominant amber-yellow colorway and a large polo collar. The jersey also incorporates subtle embossed patterns that add a refined touch to the design.
Hibernian FC 26-27 Home Kit Released
Hibernian FC have officially unveiled their new 2026-27 home kit and simultaneously announced a partnership with Reebok, replacing Joma as the club’s kit supplier.
The new jersey features a dark green base, complemented by a polo collar and raglan sleeves with white accents. Both the collar and sleeve cuffs are white, finished with green trim.
World Cup 'Debut' Patch is Attached to the Boots
Midfielder Luis Romo (31) made a memorable impact in his FIFA World Cup debut, scoring the only goal in Mexico’s 1-0 victory over South Africa. The win also made Mexico the first team to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Making his first-ever World Cup appearance, Luis Romo naturally had the honor of wearing the World Cup “Debut” Patch. Interestingly, however, he chose to attach it to his Tiempo Maestro boots rather than wear it on his shirt sleeve like most other players.
Boca Juniors 26-27 Pre-Match Shirt Leaked - Official Look
@opaleak has leaked 2 new pictures of the new Adidas Boca 26-27 pre-match shirt.
The Boca Juniors 2026-27 pre-match jersey features a half-and-half design in the club's traditional colors, with a yellow right side and blue left side, complemented by contrasting sleeve colors and a blue crew-neck collar.
Special Adidas World Cup 'Match 1000' Referee Shirt
The second Group F match between Japan and Tunisia will mark the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history. FIFA has appointed Romanian referee István Kovács to officiate this historic milestone match, which will take place at Monterrey Stadium on June 20.
A special highlight of the occasion will be the referee's commemorative uniform: a bright red jersey featuring three gold stripes on the sleeves, along with a "MATCH 1000 FIFA WORLD CUP" badge.