Why Are So Many Players Wearing Pink Boots at the World Cup?
Pink is the standout color of the 2026 World Cup, with Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Skechers all issuing bright pink boots. Nike says it chose pink for confidence and visibility against the grass, though stars like Messi, Pulisic and Ronaldo are bucking the trend.
P ink is the new black at the 2026 World Cup. It has not taken viewers long to notice that the footwear on display in the tournament’s opening matches is vibrant but strikingly monochromatic, with Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Skechers all supplying players with bright pink boots from special World Cup releases, The Athletic reports.
Not a coincidence
"People say it’s coincidence but it’s happened way too many times," Ben Warren, founder of BW Boots UK, which sources rare boots and supplies several World Cup players, told The Athletic. "Different brands are releasing boots in more or less the same colors. We’ve seen boots looking quite similar in the last few years, but this World Cup is pretty much the exact same color."
Why pink: confidence and visibility
Nike said bold colors were the starting point. "What we’ve been hearing consistently from the athlete and the consumer, especially when it comes to big moments, is that bright colors give them confidence," said Odinga Nimako of Nike’s global football footwear team. The color also pops on screen: "Pink really helps bring it out against the green grass on the pitch, whether you’re in the stands or whether you’re watching on TV." With no team wearing a primarily pink kit (Belgium’s Adidas away kit comes closest), Nike wanted the boot to stand out against the shirt.
The stars bucking the trend
Not everyone is in pink. Match officials are required to wear traditional black boots, made by FIFA sponsor Adidas. Lionel Messi’s Adidas "El Ultimo Tango" cleats are white and light blue to match Argentina’s kit, with gold accents. Christian Pulisic’s Puma Kidsuper Ultra 6 are white with blue stars echoing the U.S. flag. And Nike has designed all-gold boots for Cristiano Ronaldo, set for release before Portugal’s first group game, to mark what the brand called his sixth World Cup.
A fleeting trend
Most players are contractually required to wear the pink boots they are given, but the moment will not last. "When a new season begins it’ll be a new color, around the end of July," Warren said.
Reporting: based on The Athletic, by David Betancourt and Philip Buckingham, June 13, 2026, with comment from Nike and BW Boots UK.