For over two decades, Nike has been synonymous with the Portuguese national team, outfitting stars like Luís Figo, Deco, and the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, the era of Nike’s dominance is about to end, as Puma takes over as Portugal’s kit sponsor starting in January 2025.
The first major Puma x Portugal collaboration will debut at the 2026 World Cup. And now, as anticipation builds, early leaks of Puma’s first offering for Portugal, that’ll come somewhere in late December, sets a base for fans to geek out over until the 2026 World Cup.
The leaked design via Opaleak suggests that Puma’s first foray into dressing Portugal will maintain the traditional red base but introduces a fresh twist with a unique color palette and also the detailing.
The standard red, long a symbol of Portugal’s football heritage, remains the dominant shade, anchoring the new home kit in its classic identity. However, the sleeves and neck feature a new design and a new colour, straying away from the standard red and green we’ve seen for years.
On the sleeves, the top and lower thin bands are in the green of Portugal that we know, but the central strip, thicker in size is in a cream color officially termed “Sugared Almond” by Footy Headlines.
This creamy hue isn’t just confined to the neck and sleeves—it also makes an appearance on the Puma badge, giving the kit a cohesive and elegant feel.
What has probably gone unnoticed to the common eye, is the subtle pattern–the five chevrons on the base of the home kit.
The five chevrons hold historical significance in Portuguese culture, they symbolize the five Moorish kings defeated by King Afonso Henriques at the Batalha de Ourique and the dots inside the chevrons represent the five wounds of Christ inflicted during his crucifixion.
Apart from this, renders also make it look like there are black outlines throughout the kit that make it look rather box like, we’ll have to wait and watch if these lines are only the result of a render or will they actually be a part of the new kit.
While this first look at Puma’s work hints at a more dynamic and refined design language, it also suggests that the German sportswear brand is aiming to inject some modern flair into what has been, for many, a predictable kit under Nike.
In general, fans have had mixed reactions towards it, with some users feeling it needs a little bit of the extra oomph, “I’m not even against it, as its already slightly better than current kit but it needs some sauce. Why are so many kits so boring”.
Another complaint from fans is the number of Puma logos that have been slapped onto the kit, “Crap. Too many Puma logos.” summed it up perfectly.
One user also did somewhat of a dive in old international kits and and found the Egypt 2008 kit, the similarity between these two kits, the randomness of the Puma logos on their shoulders and their orientation in different directions that makes the kit look like it’s not been designed in a rush.
Puma replacing Nike as Portugal’s kit supplier marks the end of a 26-year partnership that started in 1997.
For Nike, the loss of Portugal is significant, as it ends one of their longest-standing relationships with a European footballing giant. However, for Puma, it is a major win—one that gives them the opportunity to dress some of the biggest stars in world football.
