In a move that fuses footballing tradition with the artistic soul of West London, Chelsea FC and Nike have pulled back the curtain on the club’s 2025/26 away kit — and it’s nothing short of a masterpiece. Drawing directly from the creative current that pulses through the King’s Road, the new look is a statement in style and subtlety, where past meets present on a textured white canvas.
There’s something poetic about football shirts when done right. When the lines blur between utility and artistry, and when heritage isn’t just referenced—it’s reinterpreted. That’s exactly what Nike and Chelsea have done with the club’s 2025/26 away kit, a piece that steps well beyond tradition and into the realms of design and culture. This one? It’s a gallery piece.
Unveiled in a striking installation at the Saatchi Gallery—a fitting venue on Chelsea’s own King’s Road—the new away shirt draws a fine line between past and present. Literally. Red and green pinstripes delicately trace across a textured white base, echoing a cult classic worn in the early ‘70s under the watch of manager Dave Sexton. Back then, the red-white-green ensemble was a bold departure, inspired by the flair of Hungary’s ‘Magnificent Magyars’. Today, it returns refined, reworked, and ready to write the next chapter.
But this kit isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about evolution. The palette whispers history without shouting, with contemporary tailoring and trim detail that gives it a future-facing feel. It’s the sort of shirt you could frame—or throw on with jeans and still get nods in the pub.
Nike’s creative direction here goes deeper, though. This isn't just a kit launch—it’s a cultural statement. Showcased during This Game Is What We Make It, an exhibition marking Chelsea’s 120th anniversary, the campaign featured Kadeisha Buchanan, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke, surrounded by an atmosphere thick with creative energy. The message? Football and art aren’t separate disciplines. In Chelsea’s part of London, they’re intertwined.
From Turner to street murals, from Whistler to matchday banners, this pocket of the capital has long been a hub of expression. The 25/26 away shirt doesn’t just nod to that—it embodies it. Crafted like a canvas, worn like a badge.
Pick up the Chelsea 25/26 away shirt from 19 June at prodirectsport.com/soccer
