In a landmark move that will act as a moment in time to really help elevate the presence of the female game, Nike have unveiled 14 international kits on the same day, each with a bespoke design.
A process that has been many months in the making, design for the 14 National Team Kits began with gathering detailed input on fit from professional footballers, followed by 4-D scanning and motion capture in the Nike Sports Research Lab.
No longer will the majority of Nike international women's sides have the same kit as their male counterparts, but it's bespoke treatment that has been welcomed in by the brand. Naturally, each kit is packed with the latest technology from Nike however beyond the innovations in fit, the National Team Kits also reflect the continued commitment to being the world’s most sustainable sports brand, with each 2019 Nike Kit constructed from at least 12 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than 6 billion plastic bottles from landfills through sustainable product design.
Starting with the hosts, France, for home matches, the FFF women will dress in a traditional blue shirt with rose gold details, including crest, FFF marking at the back of the neck and the words “Nos Différences Nous Unissent” within. The Tricolore is represented subtly on the sleeve, while the kit’s white shorts and red socks articulate the famous bleu, blanc and rouge from head to toe.
The FFF away kit, white shirt and socks paired with blue shorts carries a unique hexadot pattern referencing both the country’s informal nickname (l'hexagone) and the dotted styles of French fashion. It shares the same interior detail (“Nos Différences Nous Unissent”), rose gold detailing and Art Deco font as the home kit.
At home, the CBF women will wear an exclusive version of the nation's sacred yellow kit. The body features the same Samba Gold, pulled from the 1970s, as the 2018 men's kit, and introduces lucky green accents on the cuffs. This shirt is balanced by blue shorts and white socks — an undeniably Brasilian aesthetic.
The Seleçåo Feminina's away kit modernizes a favorite of Brasil's women — inspired by the constellation of stars in homage to the Brazilian indigenous warriors who, by legend, turned to stars after death. In a dark blue tone with a geometric star graphic representative of the night sky fading from top to bottom, the kit is designed with a modern collar. It is punctuated by a Samba Gold back tape, and soar blue pops at the neck and cuffs. Inside the shirt, an inscription that attests to the country pride reads “Mulheres Guerreiras do Brasil.”
The new Australia home kit, part of the first National Team collection designed exclusively for the Matildas, channels an exuberant aesthetic born in the early ’90s.
Melbourne’s famous Hosier Lane, a globally recognized street art hot spot, the famed Golden Wattle and its sickle-shaped stalks and macro and micro shots of the Australian landscape all coalesce in the graphic — one that serves to encapsulate contemporary Australia.
A second-place finish in last year’s regional tournament, including going unbeaten in group stages, solidified the South Africa team's qualification and proves its quality. “Our biggest motivation is playing in France, and we thank our team, support staff, sponsors and SAFA for all the support,” adds Banyana Banyana coach, Desiree Ellis.
This summer, the team will wear a collection highlighted by a dazzling yellow home kit embellished with a powerful green print on the sleeves. The away kit is a bold green with a cascading horizontal pattern.
Two years on from European glory, and backed by a colorful legion of new supporters, the Lionesses have a first world title in their sights as they head to France this June. With that drive in mind, the Netherlands' 2019 home kit relays a retro Oranje vibe, but with a contemporary, female-focused twist.
The head-to-toe orange shirt, shorts and socks are adorned with an ornamental graphic inspired by the country's famed tulip and completed by the KNVB women's team's exclusive Lioness crest — introduced just weeks before the glory of 2017.
During the past five years, Chilean football has ascended. The women’s team has reached the world finals for the first time in its history, and the men's team has claimed two major trophies. Chilean Football Federation's latest kits acknowledge this unprecedented success and situate La Roja for this summer and beyond.
"We are inspired by the belief that we can do it," says Chilean star Karen Araya. "When you believe, you have no limits. It makes me feel alive, excited and that every day is an opportunity to achieve something new."
On May 8, 2018, New Zealand Football announced a landmark agreement to bring equality to elite female and male athletes.
The deal provides the Football Ferns, as the women's national team is affectionately known, pay parity, equal prize money, equal rights for image use and parity across travel while representing New Zealand.
Paying tribute to Māori legend, the silver fern represents which lines the sleeves of the 2019 kit celebrates strength, resistance and power. These traits relate to the unique underside of the tree’s fronds that reflect under moonlight, creating something akin to a natural nightlight. Thus, they have been celebrated for guiding travelers. On the kit a near photo-realistic graphic of the fond features on each sleeve, creating a clean and modern aesthetic.
The Korea National Football Team Collection is inspired by the national flag, the Taegeukgi, a symbol of Korean pride, and Hanryu, a cultural trend receiving high attention around the world.
The home kit features a simplified black and white crest designed to imbue a sharp, contemporary feel. A bright red shirt and black shorts follow the trigrams of the national flag (heaven, earth, water and fire).
The all-white away kit is also designed to symbolize the Taegeuk, with a unique pattern in Taegeuk colors representing Hanryu. The silhouette of Taegeuk is completed with white socks punctuated by black dynamic patterns, along with names and numbers of players in black.
In 1999, the Chinese Women's National Team was one penalty shootout away from claiming a world title. It was the culmination of a dominant period for the federation, one that included seven consecutive Asian trophies and high finishes in all major international tournaments. The moment in history also gave China's women a long-lasting nickname: Steel Roses.
Twenty years later, the blend of toughness and femininity conveyed by that moniker defines the current squad. A rebirth, or more directly, a reprise of those glory years, remains the goal; the new women's China away kit is a symbol of that opportunity.
China's new away shirt carries a brilliant all-over Phoenix print conveying femininity and virtue. Crimson pops on the sleeve enliven the gray tonal body, and a second Phoenix print sits within the kit as a symbol of inner pride.
Like the Super Eagles in 2018, Nigeria's women will wear a kit that's become an instant classic. The home kit pays subtle homage to Nigeria’s ’94 shirt (worn by Nigeria's first men's team to qualify — the Super Falcons have qualified for every tournament since 1991) with its eagle wing-inspired black-and-white sleeve and green torso. Those elements are supercharged through an abstracted feather pattern and hyper colors that extend a power capable of turning heads on and off pitch.
Canada Soccer heads to France with confidence and its first Nike kit. The Canada Soccer Association signed a partnership with Nike in late December 2018. “We are delighted by our new partnership with Canada Soccer," says Cassie Looker, Nike Women’s Football Apparel Lead. "Thinking about all the ways we can employ the mighty maple leaf and brilliant reds in future designs is exciting. We’re already dreaming up ideas for 2020 and beyond."
Nike and the NFF have launched a stunning new 2019 women’s national team kit inspired by Norwegian heritage. Combining the team’s trademark colors of red and blue, the new home jersey features a pattern borrowed from traditional Norwegian ski sweaters. The result is a unique gradient aesthetic that decorates the front of the shirt.
“We wanted to produce a kit that captured the spirit of Norway, the national team and the supporters who give the team such great backing,” explains Cassie Looker, Nike Women’s Football Apparel Lead. “We feel we have achieved that with a design that's an original concept for a football kit, while also being unmistakably Norwegian.”
the USWNT will compete in France wearing a new collection and a set of kits that channel the energy of ’99 and all its championship glory. For the all-white home kit, the shirt features a stripped sleeve cuff reminiscent of those worn by Chastain, Hamm and Foudy, and is punctuated by three stars above the crest — honoring world titles from ’91, ’99 and 2015. This theme follows on the shorts, where the single star adorning the sides of the ’99er uniform has been replaced by a stack of three. Knit tape on the back of the neck also takes this embellishment.
Another element to cherish: The back panel of the home shirt presents a tonal gray print formed from each of the 50 states. As the away team, the USWNT amps up its undeniably American identity in a red shirt and shorts with blue socks. The shirt is highlighted by an abstraction of the American flag and, again, those three shining stars. Inner pride on the away shirt reads “One Nation, One Team.”
For each match, the team will wear a new anthem jacket with a pleated back and transparent sleeves. The full collection for the USWNT also includes a blue heather training kit, a drill pant augmented by a USA crest and Swoosh lockup and a suite of lifestyle apparel.
A fresh take on the traditional white kit, the 2019 England Women’s home look is accented by dark red cuffs. “The flood-white look gives an aura of strength and purity. This minimalism translates as sophistication and confidence — perfect for this team,” says Cassie Looker, Nike Women’s Football Apparel Lead.
The socks debut a custom hand-drawn print for the Lionesses highlighting specific flora native to the counties and regions of England. “The common poppy, primrose, rosebay willowherb, wood anemone, spring gentian, Nottingham catchfly and traditional rose intermingle with the hop to form a floral pattern that represents the entire country,” explains Looker.
Though used sparingly on the home kit, this pattern forms the basis, covering both shirt and socks, for a brilliant new articulation of England’s classic red away strip. Rendered in a dark red crush, a darker shade exclusively for the women’s team, the kit incorporates the St. George’s Cross on the shirt and a unique dark red crush-colored crest exclusive to the Lionesses.
In Paris, Nike also announced a new three-year partnership with UEFA Women’s Football, building on its support of elite footballers from North America to China, and its support of standout female athletes worldwide. The three-year deal sees Nike become an official partner of UEFA Women’s Football and the match ball supplier for UEFA Women’s competitions, including the Women’s Champions League and the Women’s Euro 2021.
Nike is addressing barriers to girls’ participation in sport through new community partnerships and access to products to help girls play with confidence. In Paris, Nike is partnering with Sport dans la Ville to train female coaches and engage girls through sports ranging from football to boxing. Globally, Nike is collaborating with Women Win and Gurls Talk to support rising female coaches who are inspiring the next generation of girls to be active. Nike is also piloting a program to provide products such as the Nike Pro Hijab and Nike Classic Sports Bra to girls in need through schools and community partners worldwide.
The Nike 2019 WWC home and away kits will be worn in upcoming fixtures and will be available from prodirectsoccer.com in May.
