Dezeen Magazine

Portugal's World Cup 2018 strip celebrates the team's victory in Europe

Portugal's success in the Euro 2016 football tournament is marked with "celebratory splashes of gold" on the kit designed by Nike for this year's World Cup squad.

Unveiled by Nike yesterday, the home kit that will be worn by the Portuguese national team for the FIFA World Cup 2018 brings together vibrant shades of green and burgundy, along with a series of golden details.

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

Nike's concept, which is calls "modern royalty", is designed to honour the team's success at the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, which marked the first time Portugal had ever won a major football trophy.

It encompasses gold detailing on the Nike swoosh and player numbers, matching stitched details on the club badge.

"The collection is inspired by the success of two years ago," said Pete Hoppins, senior design director for Nike football apparel. "That comes through in the home kit with this concept of modern royalty."

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

By contrast, the away kit is intended to look to the future. White shirts are decorated with a dynamic mint green pattern and a bold red swoosh.

"With the home kit, we celebrated where we are with Portugal; the away is all about what's next," added Hoppins. "Portugal is a nation of discovery and that absolutely extends to their passion and attitude toward football."

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

According to Hoppins, the design they came up with pays homage to the team's stars of the past and present, including current captain Christiano Ronaldo.

"From Luis Figo to Cristiano, Portugal has a number of iconic characters who have led and united the squad," Hoppins said. "Ronaldo is a Portuguese hero. "We wanted to tell the story of the modern king of football leading this new team."

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

Both the home and away strips are made from Nike's Vaporknit fabric – a mesh-like material that allows for better ventilation and aerodynamics.

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

Pre-match jerseys worn by the team during warm-up feature an enlarged version of the Portuguese cross from the country's national crest – also seen on the shirt.

"Together, the kits send a message that this nation is hungry for more success," concluded Hoppins.

This year's World Cup kicks off in Russia in June, and several of the competing teams have now unveiled their kits.

Nike unveils World Cup 2018 kits for Portugal

Nike, which ranked at 37 on Dezeen Hot List 2017, has also designed the strips for the Nigeria and England teams, which combine designs from old strips with elements inspired by youth culture. It was also behind the flag-inspired French kit.

Meanwhile, brand rival Adidas has created kits for teams including Germany, Spain and Argentina.