Adidas Release Kits for Clubs They Don't Sponsor
Adidas' "ALMA" collection celebrates the roots and history of football clubs in Brazil with special kits based on their traditional designs. Adidas sponsor five clubs in Brazil, none of whom feature in the collection. Instead, they have produced jerseys for clubs whose kits are made by other brands.
Adidas Release Jerseys for Clubs They Don't Sponsor
Football kit contracts are big business and give manufacturers exclusive rights to produce officially licensed club gear. They often contain very specific clauses related to competitors, preventing players from wearing clothing from competing brands while on club duty, although this generally excludes footwear.
Lionel Messi has been the face of Adidas for years yet he has played and trained in Nike gear for the entirety of his club career thanks to Barcelona and PSG's contracts with the Swoosh. The inverse is true for Cristiano Ronaldo, Nike's number one athlete who has been more often photographed wearing the Three Stripes while representing Real Madrid, Juve and his second spell at Manchester United.
Nautico, Portuguesa and América RJ have received Adidas ALMA jerseys.
Brands are very strict about players respecting the apparel contracts between themselves and the clubs they sponsor, so the nature of Adidas "ALMA" collection is highly unusual. In this case it is not players who are prioritising their own individual sponsorship deals, but the clubs themselves who have allowed Adidas to produce officially licensed shirts bearing their crest, despite their existing kit deals.
The Adidas ALMA shirts will be worn in matches and are not just collectors items.
Two of the three clubs who have so far received ALMA jerseys from Adidas are Nautico and Portuguesa. Both clubs produce their kits in-house, meaning there is no other party who could object to them allowing Adidas to make a shirt for them. America RJ, on the other hand, have a deal with Icone Sports, yet the folks at Icone seem to have had no qualms about letting Adidas in on their turf.
André Campos, Senior Manager of Adidas Football in Brazil said:
"The ALMA collection is a fantastic way to celebrate clubs that are part of Brazilian soccer history. Many fans will remember the golden era of the teams involved in the project and recall great memories. At the same time, it is an opportunity to get closer to those who were too young to witness the magic told from generation to generation."
Even stranger still is that these Adidas shirts are not just collectors items. Both Portuguesa and America RJ have worn their Adidas ALMA shirts in matches already, and Nautico will do the same. The three clubs will rotate between their home and away (and possibly third) shirts, plus their ALMA shirts across the 22-23 season.
The shirts themselves are quite simple, applying each team's traditional colours to teamwear designs, adding an Adidas ALMA jocktag and a unique gold symbol to the back of the neck commemorating an achievement from each club's history.
To the best of our knowledge, this is a first in modern football. There may have been cases of clubs changing manufacturer during the season and switching from one brand to another, but for clubs to have one set of kits containing shirts by two different manufacturers is something we can't recall hearing of before. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you have any other examples of this.
What do you think of Adidas producing one-off kits for clubs they don't sponsor? Would you like to see any other brand make a one-off kit for your club? Comment below.
Manchester United 26-27 Third Kit - Close-Up Images
Manchester United's 2026-27 third kit has once again been spotted on sale in stores. Meanwhile, @jerseyreview has shared additional close-up images of the jersey, highlighting the special "Manchester United Football Club" detail on the back of the collar, inspired by the iconic Salford Lads Club.
Instead of the full brand name, only the distinctive Snapdragon fireball emblem is displayed on the chest, giving the shirt a minimalist aesthetic. This decision was probably made to better fit the central layout.
Como 26-27 Home Kit Leaked - Official Pictures
Footy Headlines can leak the official images of Como's new 2026-27 home kit, featuring a design inspired by the stunning waters of Lake Como
Almería 26-27 Third Kit Released
UD Almería and Macron have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. The fresh uniform stands out with a pastel lavender base complemented by solid black accents on the mandarin collar, sleeve cuffs, and lower hem trim.
The shirt's defining feature is an all-over sublimated marble-effect pattern inspired by the natural rock surfaces of the Cueva de los Letreros in Vélez-Blanco, the archaeological site where Almería's historic Indalo symbol was originally found. A recolored monochrome club crest and black sponsor logos complete the front design.
SS Arezzo 26-27 Third Kit Released
Italian Serie C club SS Arezzo have officially unveiled the 2026-27 third kit. Made by Rever, the new shirt completes the club's kit collection for the upcoming season with a design that combines elegance, personality and the identity of Il Cavallino.
The Rever SS Arezzo 2026-27 third shirt features an all-black design enhanced by a subtle tonal damask pattern and exclusive graphic detailing across the front. Contrasting white side panels, outlined with thin maroon piping, are paired with discreet maroon accents that pay tribute to the club's traditional colours. A centred white Rever logo sits above the iconic rearing horse crest and the UNOAERRE sponsor, completing the refined look.
What do you think of the new SS Arezzo 2026-27 third kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Jablonec 26-27 Home Kit Released
Czech First League club FK Jablonec and new technical partner Macron have officially launched the team's new home kit for the 26-27 season. Replacing previous supplier Capelli, Macron has created a custom design that reflects a new visual direction for the club.
The Macron FK Jablonec 26-27 home shirt features a deep bottle green base accented by a white crew-neck collar and white sleeve cuffs with green piping. Across the front panel is a subtle, custom tonal graphic pattern that incorporates elements of Jablonec's updated brand identity. White Macron logos adorn the right chest, paired with white sponsor detailing and the club's modern crest on the left chest.
Alongside the home shirt, Jablonec also unveiled their new goalkeeper jersey, which stands out with a black base covered in vibrant diagonal slashes in red, orange, and yellow. The full range will be available via the official club store.
FC Barcelona 26-27 Away Kit Font Features Oversized Letter Typo
FC Barcelona's new 26-27 away kit, created as part of an exclusive Nike x Barça x Kobe Bryant collaboration, features a bespoke custom typeface dubbed the Gold Mamba font. However, detailed photos from the club's official store have revealed an unannounced design flaw in the nameset. On goalkeeper Joan García's jersey, the initial letter J appears dramatically oversized compared to the rest of the letters.
The error was first highlighted on social media by kit insider @memorabilia1899 and @@jerseystory_vn. In close-up images of Joan García's shirt, the capital J drops well below the baseline of the letters O, A, and N, creating an awkward disparity in sizing. The rest of the custom typeface otherwise features sophisticated serif details and metallic gold or monochrome outline finishes designed specifically for the Kobe Bryant-inspired collection.
Despite the noticeable typo, reports indicate that FC Barcelona will not immediately recall or replace the flawed shirts. Instead, the club plans to sell through the existing physical stock printed with the initial flawed batch before releasing an updated, corrected version of the nameset to retailers and fans.
The Gold Mamba custom font remains one of the defining visual features of Barcelona's 26-27 away kit collection, which blends a purple-to-black gradient palette with iridescent serpent-inspired detailing. Once the current stock of namesets is exhausted, Barcelona and Nike are expected to roll out the revised font with properly proportioned lettering for future shirt printing.
Deportivo Amatitlán 26-27 Home Kit Released
Guatemalan club Deportivo Amatitlán has officially unveiled its new home kit for the 26-27 season, made by sports brand Tuto. The new shirt retains the club's classic visual identity while introducing updated graphic detailing.
The Tuto Deportivo Amatitlán 26-27 home jersey features a traditional white base highlighted by a prominent red sash running diagonally across the front and continuing around the back. Dark collar trim and dark sleeve cuffs with red edging outline the design, while a subtle houndstooth-style textured pattern is woven into the main body fabric.
Tuto's logo is positioned centrally on the chest, with the club emblem applied on the left chest over the red sash. The back of the jersey displays player numbering over the sash alongside several local sponsor logos and the club's motto printed along the lower hem.
Retro-Inspired SV Meppen 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
German club SV Meppen and kit supplier Jako have officially unveiled the team's new home, away, and third kits for the 26-27 season. Following the release of pre-season training shirts earlier in the month, the complete match set adopts a heavy retro influence centered around vintage brand logo usage and classic crest execution.
The home and away jerseys share a distinct color-blocked shoulder template. The home shirt features a white body with royal blue panels running across the chest and shoulders, while the away kit reverses the colors to feature a blue body with white upper accents. Both kits showcase a vintage boxed JAKO SPORT logo on the right chest opposite a retro-styled SV Meppen crest on the left.
Completing the collection, the 26-27 third kit comes in black with subtle tonal vertical pinstripes. It opts for a centered arrangement, placing the white retro Jako logo directly above the classic club emblem in the center of the chest. The shirt is finished with a black-and-white ribbed V-neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs featuring a touch of blue detail.
Special-Edition Adidas Predator 26 "1994" Leather Boots Leaked
A new image of the special-edition Adidas Predator 26 "1994" leather boots has been shared by PJ, offering a detailed look at the tribute design honoring the historic year the iconic franchise was introduced. Featuring a black leather upper paired with striking red accents, the boot incorporates a fold-over tongue, rubber strike elements inspired by the original 1994 model, red "1994" text on the heel, tally mark detailing on the instep, and a bold metallic red finish on the front section of the soleplate.
