Who Wears Which Boot and Why? Nike 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 Mercurial 360 Heritage 2018 Boots | On-Pitch
Apr 23, 2018, by Chris
Nike last week launched a special pack to celebrate all Nike Mercurial football boots of the past, the Nike iD Mercurial Heritage collection. From its debut in the 1998 World Cup in France to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Nike Mercurial Heritage iD soccer cleats were debuted by Nike's chosen players this weekend.
Players to Wear Nike Mercurial Heritage iD 2018 Boots Depending on Which Nation Won the World Cup That Year
Nike has carefully hand-picked the players to wear each specific boot depending on their nationality, and which nation won the World Cup that year. In example, Mbappe is wearing the 1998 Nike Mercurial football boot as France won the tournament in 1998 and Sane is wearing 2014 colorway because Germany won the tournament in Brazil.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele (France) are wearing the 1998 edition, Philippe Coutinho (Brazil) is wearing the 2002 design, Italy's Federico Chiesa is wearing the yellow 2006 edition, Real Madrid's Marco Asensio received the 2010 edition, while Leroy Sane is sporting the 2014 colorway.
1998 World Cup - Kylian Mbappe & Ousmane Dembele (Winner: France)
Debuted on the feet of Brazilian superdtar Ronaldo in 1998, the distinct silver, blue and yellow colorway of the first Mercurial made a lasting impact in the football world.
2002 World Cup - Philippe Coutinho (Winner: Brazil)
The aesthetic of the 2002 World Cup Mercurial is inspired by the world’s fastest production car of the time. The boot was worn by Ronaldo in Brazil's 2002 Word Cup triumph.
2006 World Cup - Federico Chiesa (Winner: Italy)
In 2006, the expectations were sky-high for Brazil. Ronaldo received a pair of special yellow and green Nike Mercurial Vapor III ready for the occasion.
2010 World Cup - Marco Asensio (Winner: Spain)
The 2010 Nike Mercurial World Cup cleat Nike featured an eye-catching combination of silver and orange.
2014 World Cup - Leroy Sane (Winner: Germany)
Headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Mercurial Superfly IV introduced the first Dynamic Fit Collar on a Mercurial. Mario Götze scored the World Cup-winning goal for Germany wearing the Nike Magista, the first-ever high-cut football boot, however.
Best release of the past few years? What do you think of the Nike Mercurial 2018 Heritage collection? Let us know in the comments below.
Real Madrid 26-27 New Shirt Number Owners
Real Madrid have officially confirmed their squad numbers for the 2026-27 season. Thanks to @jersey_story for the design visuals.
Raúl Asencio steps into the No. 2 shirt previously worn by Dani Carvajal, while new signing Dean Huijsen takes over No. 4 from David Alaba. Endrick also returns to the No. 9 after his loan spell at Marseille.
Among the new arrivals, Ibrahima Konaté will wear No. 16, Marc Cucurella No. 17, Carlos Espí No. 19, Denzel Dumfries No. 24 and Yan Diomande No. 25. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva will continue wearing No. 20 following Fran García's departure. The number is closely associated with the Portuguese midfielder's most successful years at Manchester City.
Which new number catches your eye the most? Let us know your answer in the comments below.
Paris Saint-Germain Debut 26-27 Kits Featuring Two Stars
PSG debuted a two-star version of their 26-27 kits during recent friendly matches, commemorating their pair of UEFA Champions League titles. This special detail will be used exclusively in international competitions.
Despite Ligue 1 placing no restriction on star crests, PSG announced they will not feature the stars on their domestic league kits. Special thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the spot and graphic.
No More Nike: Adidas Croatia 2026 Training Kits Revealed
Following their switch from Nike to Adidas, Croatia's new training kit set for 2026 have been unveiled in the latest training camp for youth teams' goalkeepers.
However from what we've seen, both of the new jerseys are simply from Adidas Tiro 26 League template range, using default black and grey color choices. These are very likely just temporary options for the mean time, until the actual designs with probably bespoke colorways are officially released.
What do you think of the new Adidas Croatia 2026 training kits? Let us know in the comments below.
