Balotelli Receives Heavily Modified Puma evoPOWER Vigor K-Leather Boots - Misses First Two Minutes With Laces Problem
Mario Balotelli has missed the first two minutes of OGC Nice's match against FC Nantes struggling with his laces as they were too tight for the Italian striker. We therefore got the chance to get a close look at his boots, revealing that he has received a modified version of the Puma evoPOWER Vigor 1 Leather soccer cleats.
Mario Balotelli Shows Off Custom Puma evoPOWER Vigor Leather Boots While Struggling With The Laces
Close-up picture of Balotelli's Puma evoPOWER Vigor K-Leather boots.
Balotelli's modified version of the Puma evoPOWER Vigor K-Leather soccer boots is very different than the standard edition of Puma's boot. Whereas the retail edition of the Puma evoPOWER 1 Vigor boots features a synthetic inner Spandex sock highlighted with eye-catching yellow dots and a Kangaroo leather upper, Balotelli's boot comes with a very different inner material, while his boots feature the standard Kangaroo leather upper.
Balotelli's boot also comes with the new Puma lacing system that replaces the traditional holes with loops for an even tighter fit, resulting in Balotelli's too tight boots.
What do you think of Balotelli's custom Puma evoPOWER Vigor Kangaroo Leather cleats? What do you think of the Puma evoPOWER Vigor lacing system? Drop us a line below.
Campobasso 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Revealed
Italian Serie C side Campobasso FC have officially unveiled their new Nike home, away, and third kits for the 2026-27 season.
They introduce designs based on teamwear but nicely customised by the team.
The home retains the classic stripes, the away comes with a navy vertical stripe, while the third is black and gold.
Good or Bad? Rexona Armpit Sponsorship on 2026 World Cup Referee Shirts
Update - Tuesday, June 23, 2026: Following our publication, Rexona contacted us to provide additional context on the activation.
According to Ben Curtis, Global Brand Vice President for Rexona at Unilever, the sponsorship is intended to highlight fourth officials, who "may not always be the focus of attention but are at the centre of some of football's most intense and anticipated moments," as part of Rexona's "It Won't Let You Down" campaign during the FIFA World Cup 2026. "They need to remain cool and calm under pressure - That's exactly why this partnership is such a natural fit for Rexona."
The 2026 World Cup referee shirts feature one of the most amusing and strategic sponsorship placements seen in football. Deodorant brand Rexona has their logo positioned directly under the armpits of the match officials' jerseys, creating a highly contextual advertising opportunity.
The Rexona logo remains largely hidden during regular play but becomes clearly visible whenever a referee raises their arms to signal a free kick, award a penalty, or issue a card. This placement perfectly matches the deodorant product being advertised, resulting in a memorable piece of marketing on the sport's biggest stage.
While this specific placement has caught the attention of fans during the 2026 tournament, it is not entirely unprecedented. A similar concept was previously executed in Brazil, where Avanço deodorant sponsored the armpits of Corinthians. However, Rexona's execution at a World Cup brings the clever concept to a massive global audience.
Adidas Al Qadsiah 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released - No More Nike
Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah has officially unveiled its new 2026-27 home and away kits, marking the beginning of their new partnership with adidas after switching from previous supplier Nike.
Revealed on June 23, 2026, the inaugural adidas strips feature simple, standard designs without bespoke detailing. The home kit is presented in the club's traditional red and yellow colors, while the away shirt offers a stylish white and red look.
FC Barcelona 26-27 Training Top Leaked
Images of the FC Barcelona 2026-27 training top have been leaked online by Barca kit collector @memorabilia1899.
Hamburg 26-27 Anthem Jacket Released
The new Hamburger SV 2026-27 anthem jacket has been launched.
Produced by Adidas, the jacket features a clean design based on the Adidas 2026 jacket template. It is predominantly white with contrasting black Three Stripes running down the sleeves and a black Adidas performance logo on the right chest.