The 2026 World Cup draws attention not only for the stories of the ‘underdogs’, such as Cape Verde, Curaçao and company, or for the high number of goals, but also for the ‘sea’ of pink boots. Not all players, however, joined the trend, two of which stand out: Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The Argentine, isolated top scorer, wears white and light blue boots with the colors of his national team, which is already notable for having made him the athlete with the most goals in the history of the tournament. And the Brazilian, who wears a yellow item with orange and green details.
Puma, which sponsors Neymar, even joined in the fun and published a video on Instagram in which the star plays with the predominant color of the World Cup. A brand representative appears ‘appreciating’ a pink boot, until the attacker arrives with his. “I’m tired of pink, okay?” commented a user on the post.
The Brazilian and Messi are not the only ones who clash. Some others, like Christian Pulisic, from the United States, have already entered the field wearing a white model decorated with blue stars, in reference to the United States flag. And Cristiano Ronaldo, who is making his sixth World Cup appearance, wears a special gold edition.
Why the fashion for pink football boots at the 2026 World Cup?
but almost simultaneously, collections for the World Cup with very similar color palettes, all centered on variations of vibrant pink. Odinga Nimako, a member of Nike’s global boot development team, explained to The Athletic newspaper that the choice was based on research with athletes and consumers.
“What we constantly hear is that vibrant colors convey confidence, especially in big competitions. Pink is one of them,” said the executive. And there is also a technical justification. Studies conducted by Nike indicated that pink stands out more on the green lawn than most other colors, both for those at the stadium and for those watching the matches on television.
The effect is enhanced by another factor: it uses pink as the predominant color in its uniforms. The natural contrast between the shirt and the boot creates a kind of visual frame for the footwear.
