What Messi, Neymar and Suarez Wore When They Made Their Él Clásico Debut
Dec 1, 2016, by Chris
With the first El Clasico of the season finally taking place this Saturday, we take a look at the boots worn by Barcelona's famous strikers. And while Neymar still make his Él Clásico wearing the same silo as now, both Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez made their first match against Real Madrid wearing different boots than now.
Lionel Messi - Nike Air Legend
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut exactly 12 years ago, wearing Nike's Air Tiempo cleat.
Messis first game against Real Madrid was on 19 November 2005 wearing the classic black and white Nike Air Legend boot, on a night that saw his superb performance eclipsed by Ronaldinho. Eleven years later, Messi is the all-time leading El Clásico scorer and has been receiving almost endess signature boots from Adidas.
Neymar - Nike Hypervenom Phantom
After impressive performances both for Santos and Brazil, Neymar made his El Clasico debut in 2013 wearing the first-gen Nike Hypervenom football boot scoring one goal. He's the only player of the three still wearing the same boot silo, even though in a camouflaged version (Saturday's match will be also likely his last Él Clásico with Hypervenom boots as he will return to the Mercurial next year).
Suarez - Adidas F50 Adizero
Suarez will wear Adidas' X boots in Saturday's match.
Suarez made his El Clasico debut in 2014 wearing a pair of the now-discontinued Adidas F50 Adizero football boot in the bold pink and blue colorway. And while the Uruguayan superstar has since then switched to the Adidas X soccer cleats, it's interesting to note that his first El Clasico was also his first-ever start for Barcelona after his four month ban.
What's your favorite El Clasico moment? Let us know in the comments below.
Nike Phantom 6 Haaland Chapter 5 Boots Revealed - Reactive Nike Hydra Upper
Through its partner stores, Nike has officially revealed Erling Haaland's fifth signature edition, the Nike Phantom 6 Haaland Chapter 5 from his Force of Nature collection. Finished in a Baltic Blue colorway with cloud-inspired graphics across the rear, the low-cut boot introduces Nike's Hydra treatment, which uses reactive white ink that vanishes when wet to uncover additional details of the graphic beneath. Engineered for lethal finishing in the 26-27 season, the boot combines a Gripknit upper with a Cyclone 360 soleplate and is scheduled to launch on October 1, 2026. Huge thanks to Pro Direct and Unisportsore for images and the video.
Fortuna Sittard 26-27 Cup Kit Released - Sponsorless 1957 Tribute
Dutch Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard and technical supplier Robey have officially revealed a special cup kit for the 26-27 campaign. Created in collaboration with design agency 51North, this release marks the very first dedicated cup kit in the club's history. It serves as a direct tribute to predecessor club Fortuna '54, who won the 1957 KNVB Beker with a memorable Bram Appel hat-trick against Feyenoord.
The Robey Fortuna Sittard 26-27 cup shirt faithfully revives the historic look with a white base highlighted by broad horizontal red and blue stripes across the chest, completing the Dutch tricolor. In true vintage fashion, the jersey comes with long sleeves as standard and features a retro polo collar. Club sponsors voluntarily stepped aside to allow a completely clean, sponsorless front, while the Robey branding and club badge are subtly embroidered in tonal white to maintain the authentic aesthetic.
Additional bespoke details round off the historic tribute. A heritage Fortuna '54 tag sits near the bottom hem, and an embroidered depiction of the KNVB Cup sits neatly below the back collar, added with official federation approval. The shirt is worn with matching white shorts and socks, completing a timeless look for Fortuna's cup run.
FIFA ASEAN Cup Features Same Left-Sleeve Kit Badge as in 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
The opening match between Laos and Brunei provided a full reveal of the sleeve patch pairing for the inaugural FIFA-organized Southeast Asian tournament.
Moving away from the previously expected navy blue, the official tournament patches feature a clean white base. Most notably, the "Football Unites the World" sleeve patch on the left arm is the exact same design that made a single, exclusive appearance at the recent World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina.
Big thanks to @What The Kit for spotting and making the collage.
