Did Sporting Copy T90 Concept for 26-27 Away Kit?
- Official Kit Unveiling: Sporting CP officially released their new 2026-27 away kit, which utilizes Nike's iconic Total 90 (T90) design.
- Striking Resemblance to Concept: The new Sporting kit is almost identical to a concept design created by independent designer Gollo a year prior, leading to questions about potential copying or a significant coincidence.
- Debate on Coincidence vs. Inspiration: Despite typical kit production cycles suggesting Nike's design was finalized before Gollo's concept, the near-exact match between the official kit and his prediction raises a debate about whether it's a massive coincidence or if Nike took inspiration from the concept.
Two days ago, Sporting CP officially unveiled their new 2026-27 away kit, featuring Nike's iconic Total 90 (T90) design. However, kit enthusiasts immediately noticed an uncanny detail: the final shirt is virtually identical to a concept created by independent designer Gollo a year ago, raising questions about whether Nike took inspiration from the concept community or if it's just a crazy coincidence.
Did Sporting Copy T90 Concept for 26-27 Away Kit?
The new Sporting 26-27 away kit is built on Nike's revived Total 90 template, which the brand initially rolled out for its elite clubs' third kits during the 2025-26 season.
Because Sporting CP was not included in that elite 2025-26 third kit package, Nike carried the template over to serve as the Portuguese club's primary away strip for the 2026-27 campaign.
Gollo's Concept vs. The Official Release
Back in August 2025, following the reveal of Nike's new 25-26 T90 third kit collection, concept designer @gollofootball created four speculative Sporting CP mockups to visualize how the template would look in the club's colors.
Fast forward to two days ago, and one of those four concepts, a rich gold and black colorway, turned out to be a 99% match with the official jersey released by Nike and Sporting:
The base color, trim placement, collar design, and contrast lines match Gollo's year-old mockup almost pixel for pixel.
The only noticeable distinction lies in the badge. The official release features Sporting's newly launched modern crest, whereas Gollo used the club's traditional crest in his 2025 prediction.
Coincidence or Inspiration?
Following the official kit reveal, Gollo reposted his original August 2025 design on social media with a simple "👀" emoji, drawing attention to the startling resemblance between his concept and the actual product.
While official kit production cycles typically take 12 to 18 months, meaning Nike likely had this color scheme finalized well before Gollo published his work, the near-exact match highlights just how accurately concept designers can anticipate brand directions.
What do you think of Sporting's new T90 away kit? Is this just a massive coincidence, or did Nike take a page out of Gollo's playbook? Let us know in the comments below!