Goodbye Stevie - Only Nike! What Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerrard, Messi and Neymar Wore When They Made Their Professional Debut
Steven Gerrard today announced his retirement from professional football. We take a look at the boots worn by Steven Gerrard and the the three players in today's game who regularly receive signature cleats from their suppliers - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar - inlcuding some surprises (Gerrard received one signature boot from Adidas for his last match at Anfield).
Steven Gerrard - Nike Tiempo Premier 5
Steven Gerrard, who been wearing Adidas Predator boots for almost his entire career, made his professional debut for Liverpool wearing boots not from the Three Stripes but from the Swoosh - the back, white and blue Nike Tiempo Premier soccer cleat, released for the 1998 World Cup. However, Steven Gerrard should score his first goal wearing Adidas Predator boots one month later, and remained true to Adidas until the end of his career (He wore the Predator for more than 15 years before Adidas discontinued the boot silo in 2014; Steven Gerrard switched to the Ace).
Steven Gerrard scored his first goal for Liverpool as professional wearing Adidas Predator boots in 1998
Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor
After impressive performances at youth level with Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo made his professional debut aged 17 for Sporting wearing the Nike Mercurial Vapor. He never laced up in another silo since then, which is a big exception, to say at least.
Lionel Messi - Nike Air Zoom Total 90 III
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut exactly 12 years ago, wearing Nike's Total 90 cleat.
17-year-old Leo Messi made his first La Liga appearance for Barcelona in 2004 wearing the Chrome, Black and Red Nike Air Zoom Total 90 III boots. Messi's La Liga debut came two years before he agreed a sponsorship deal with Adidas, and 11 years before he received his own signature silo.
Messi had signed with Nike at the age of 14 after his move from Newell's Old Boys to Barcelona. After breaking into the first team Messi also made a number of matches in the Tiempo Legend and Mercurial Vapor II before switching to the Adidas +f50.6 TUNIT in March 2006 as he signed a reported £2million five-year deal with Adidas.
Neymar - Nike Mercurial Vapor III
Neymar has been wearing no other boot than the Nike Mercurial Vapor for Santos.
Neymar made his professional debut in 2009 wearing a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor football boots at the age of 17. And while the Brazilian superstar since then has become the face of the all-new Nike Hypervenom, he still wears a version that is more a Mercurial than a Hypervenom (Read more about Neymar's camouflaged boots).
Do you also still miss the Total 90? Let us also know in the comments below.
South Korea Forced to Change Away Kit Font Color for 2026 World Cup
South Korea have been forced to change the nameset color on their 2026 away kit to comply with FIFA equipment regulations. The original light green names and numbers, which were worn during the team's pre-tournament friendlies, have been replaced with navy for the 2026 World Cup.
The change was made to increase the visibility of the names and numbers from a distance. The original light green color did not provide enough contrast against the light purple and white camouflage-style pattern of the Nike away shirt, violating FIFA's strict rules regarding the legibility of player identification.
The updated navy nameset was debuted in South Korea's second match of the tournament, providing a stark contrast to the shirt's base design and ensuring full compliance with FIFA's visibility standards.
CD Numancia 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Spanish club CD Numancia and their long-time technical sponsor Erreà have officially unveiled the club's new kits for the 2026-27 season. The launch celebrates a historic milestone, marking 20 years of uninterrupted partnership between the team and the Italian sportswear brand. To honor this two-decade collaboration, the new designs reinterpret the essence of the original kits from the 2006-07 season, when Erreà first began outfitting the Soria-based side.
The CD Numancia 2026-2027 home kit returns to the club's traditional deep red base with blue details, directly inspired by the 2006-07 template. It features a classic central shield placement, reviving a vintage aesthetic that defined the early days of the partnership. The away kit reverses this color scheme, utilizing a crisp white base with red and blue accents. Rounding out the set, the third kit introduces a clean black design with red and white elements that firmly connect to Numancia's identity.
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.
