Brazil striker Neymar
unveils iconic yellow jersey on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.
Against
the spectacular backdrop of Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, Nike and Brazil
star Neymar today unveiled the new Brazil home kit for 2013. The most storied
national team kit in football was launched as a part of "Batalha das
Quadras" (“Battle of the Court”), a competition for young players to play
small-sided football on a variety of surfaces to sharpen their skills and
celebrate the game.
The
competition honors the unique heritage of Brazilian football where many of the
world’s great players -- including Ronaldo, Neymar and Ronaldinho -- first
honed their skills playing street football and small-sided games.
The
new Brazil home kit features the classic colors of football’s most iconic shirt
combined with design innovation, giving a nation obsessed with football
everything they want from their famous jersey. The Brazilian kit is like a
national flag; it symbolizes a nation. It must be understated, it must be pure
and it must inspire.
"The
people's jersey" belongs to Brazilians, and Nike’s new kit reflects the
passion and inspiration that the Seleção brings to the nation as a whole. The
people demand that their team speaks for them and plays in a way that reflects
the country’s natural rhythm.
"To
wear the 'amarelinha' is the greatest honor for me and my teammates,"
Neymar said. "Football is part of our lives in this country and the new
Brazil kit is a classic design with all the technology that we need to
perform."
A
modern classic, the kit has all the tradition linked to the iconic strip that
has captured the imagination of the football world for so many decades.
The
jersey has a classic rib collar in green with a V inset. Laser venting, bonded
seams and hemline vents provide performance benefits for the modern player
while the minimalistic, classic look of the jersey resonates with the
traditions of Brazilian football.
The
shorts are classic blue with bonded white strips along each side and venting to
aid movement and an inner gusset to aid comfort. The socks are white with green
trim with “Brazil” detail on each.
In
line with Nike’s commitment to combining performance with lower environmental
impact, the fabric for the new kit’s shorts is made with 100 percent recycled
polyester, while the shirt fabric is made with a minimum 96 percent recycled
polyester. Each kit (jersey and shorts) is made using an average 13 recycled
plastic bottles.
The
kits are constructed using Nike Dri-FIT technology to wick moisture and are
made out of 23 percent lighter fabric with 20 percent stronger knit structure
than Nike’s previous kits. The shirts also feature laser-cut ventilation holes
to promote localized cooling, to help regulate player temperatures during a
match.
Off
the pitch, fans can also show their support for Brazil with a collection of CBD
lifestyle clothing inspired by the canarinho of 1962 and iconic national team
of that era. Collection items include a V-neck jersey, polo shirt, hoodie and
shorts featuring Chilean insignia that pays homage to the host nation of the
world’s greatest football tournament, held that that year.