Nike Unveils Kobe Bryant x FC Barcelona Partnership and 2025–26 Away Kit

Nike, a global icon in sports innovation, has announced a transformative partnership that fuses Kobe Bryant‘s legendary Mamba Mentality with the unwavering pursuit of greatness embodied by FC Barcelona. This collaboration aims to inspire the next generation of athletes worldwide with a collection that brings basketball’s uncompromising drive to the football pitch.

Born from a shared obsession with relentless self-improvement, the partnership introduces the Kobe Sheath logo to professional football for the very first time, through apparel and footwear that reflect both Kobe’s legacy and Barça’s renowned DNA. The launch is not just a tribute to Kobe Bryant’s lifelong love for football and admiration of FC Barcelona’s joyful style of play, but also a recognition from Barça of Kobe as a driving force in global sport, a champion of discipline and the pursuit of excellence, both on and off the court.

A Unified Mentality: On Court, On Pitch

This joint ethos is channeled directly into FC Barcelona’s 2025–26 away kit, which for the first time replaces the traditional Nike Swoosh with the Kobe Sheath, drawing inspiration from Kobe’s classic on-court looks. The kit features a light Team Gold base with Persian Violet and black accents, and a short finished in black with a snakeskin-textured pattern—a nod to Kobe’s “Black Mamba” persona—plus more violet touches.

The club crest and Kobe Sheath come alive in silicone gloss 3D snakeskin texture. At the same time, the socks feature the Kobe Sheath over the shin and “Barça” on the calf, subtle, powerful reminders of the unification of two iconic sporting philosophies.

Expanding the Collection: Lifestyle Meets Performance

Alongside the eye-catching kit, Nike’s partnership includes the new

• Kobe x FC Barcelona Air Force 1 Protro

• Kobe 4 Protro

• Post-match slide, plus a curated selection of co-branded lifestyle apparel.

The “Better is the Only Choice” Campaign

The entire campaign is brought to life through the concept that “Better is the Only Choice.” The hero film, Mamba Rondo, voiced by first-team men’s coach Hansi Flick, connects Kobe Bryant and Barça’s pursuit of perfection, using the rondo drill, a staple of Barcelona’s training philosophy and a symbol of the club’s intensity and commitment to continual improvement.

The film features Nike and FC Barcelona stars such as Alejandro Balde, Pablo Gavi, Patricia Guijarro, Frenkie de Jong, Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo, Claudia Pina, and Alexia Putellas. The climactic reveal of the Kobe Sheath perfectly symbolizes the merging of two of the most admired in-game mentalities—uniting the relentless drive for excellence shared by both Kobe Bryant and FC Barcelona.

How to Get the Collection & See It on Pitch

• Kobe x FC Barcelona apparel launches globally July 29 via nike.com, the Barça Official Store, and select Nike retailers.

• Kobe x Barcelona footwear drops globally July 31, with some markets following later in summer.

• The away kit debuts on the pitch July 31, when Barça faces FC Seoul as part of their Asian preseason tour.

This collection does more than merge apparel; it unites two of sport’s greatest mindsets for a singular mission: to inspire today’s athletes to push beyond “good enough” and embrace the quest for greatness. By bringing Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality to the pitch, Nike and FC Barcelona have created a legacy—one that lives in every detail, every stitch, and every moment of relentless self-improvement.