Brazil Land Slam Dunk With 2026 World Cup Away Kit, Jordan Collaboration

Brazil’s away kit for the 2026 World Cup has dropped alongside an inviting streetwear collection.

Michael Jordan’s brand have collaborated with the Brazil national team. | Nike

Brazil has become the first soccer federation to partner with Nike’s highly coveted Jordan Brand for the launch of its away kit at the 2026 World Cup.

This partnership has been billed as the meeting of two institutions synonymous with greatness. Brazil boasts an unrivaled five World Cup titles while Michael Jordan, the legendary figure behind his self-titled brand and the inspiration for the “Jumpman” silhouette, is widely hailed as the greatest basketball player of all time.

Real Madrid’s Brazilian superstar Vinicius Junior was quick to laud the new release. “For every kid in Brazil who dreams with a ball at their feet, this partnership means something huge,” he told Nike. “Jordan Brand and our Seleção coming together is more than football—it’s culture, joy and greatness united.

Brazil will be donning a blue away kit this summer. | Nike

“When the Jumpman stands next to our colors, it shows the world the creativity, passion and energy that make Brasil special. This inspires us, the new generation, to play with flair, freedom and pride every time we step on the pitch.”

Vinicius Jr is a suitable figurehead for this launch. The avid basketball fan traveled to the United States in December 2023 to spend eight hours getting a detailed tattoo of several legends of different sports. Alongside Pelé, Muhammad Ali and Kobe Bryant, Jordan was indelibly inked onto Vinicius Jr’s back. Unfortunately, this particularly depiction of the Chicago Bulls icon showed him taking a free throw with his left hand, which would have been highly unusual for the famous right-hander.

Nevertheless, it was a union for Vinicius Jr and many fans of Brazil to celebrate.

There is a textured feel to Brazil’s new kit. | Nike

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Streetwear Collection May Be Even Better

Nike have also dropped a streetwear collection. | Nike

At the same time the replica away kit dropped, Nike also released a streetwear collection which may have been even more appealing.

Soccer clubs have ruthlessly exploited the growing trend of athleisure by releasing training kits for fans to don in their day-to-day lives. The logic is watertight. If you strike upon a design which captures the imagination, why not produce as many separate items as you can possibly conceive.

Several pieces of merchandise were released alongside the replica kits. | Nike

That this collaboration should be viewed as a blinding example of combined excellence is abundantly clear. Jordan Brand’s president Sarah Mensah rammed home the idea: “Partnering with the Brazilian Football Federation is more than a collaboration; it’s a celebration of greatness, creativity and the electric energy of global football, with Brasil at its vibrant core.” Yet, it is also curious.

Despite its status as the most successful nation in World Cup history, Brazil hasn’t won the tournament since 2002. Jordan was still playing in the NBA at the time.

Over the subsequent 24 years, the Seleção has only once made it even to the semifinals—and that ended in a devastating 7–1 defeat to Germany.

Rather than glory, Brazil’s kit history has its roots in that sort of humiliation. After losing the last game of the 1950 World Cup to Uruguay on home soil, Brazil went into meltdown.

The team’s triumph had been so confidently assumed that Rio de Janeiro mayor Ângelo Mendes de Moraes declared: “I already salute you as winners!”—before the match. Yet, Uruguay came from behind to win 2–1 and consign Brazil to tragedy. The nation’s celebrated playwright Nelson Rodrigues described the defeat as “our Hiroshima.”

To rid themselves of that negative hangover, a newspaper competition was launched to create a new home kit to replace the sullied white shirts. The canary yellow and blue design which is now universally famous was conjured up by a 19-year-old who supported Uruguay of all teams. Fittingly, Jordan’s allegiances also lie with another nation.

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