One of the prominent trends at the 2026 World Cup is the dense appearance of pink football shoes on the pitch.
Gio Reyna, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are just a few of the stars who chose this eye-catching shoe color at stadiums in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Shoe models from Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance all contribute to creating a prominent image on the green grass background, helping viewers easily recognize the players on the field.
According to leading sports brands, choosing this color tone not only serves aesthetics but also helps increase recognition.
Athletes often associate this color with confidence and prominence, and that creates empathy" - Odinga Nimako, a member of Nike's global football shoe development team, shared.
Many big stars are using pink shoes at the World Cup. Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland all wear Nike shoes.
Meanwhile, Gio Reyna (USA), Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice (UK), Jonathan David (Canada), Lamine Yamal (Spain) and Ousmane Dembele (France) use Adidas designs.
Neymar, in his return to the Brazilian national team at this year's World Cup, chose Puma shoes with striking orange-pink tones.
Mexican players also attracted attention when they simultaneously used pink shoes, while Timothy Weah (USA) played with New Balance shoes. Harry Kane and Anthony Elanga are the representatives of the Skechers.
Alex Bardini, Performance Engineering Director of Skechers, said that the design idea for these shoes was inspired by the sunsets in Los Angeles.
The colors reflect the spectacular color palette of the Los Angeles sunset, with pink and purple blending with white, dotted with delicate orange details" - Bardini explained.
However, according to expert Adam Clery, this trend may just be a coincidence. Pink is opposite to green on the color circle, making the shoes stand out more on the grass.
Of course, this is also an effective marketing strategy of manufacturers. The appearance of products at the most watched sporting event on the planet brings great promotional value.
Although many brands choose similar pink tones, Clery believes that this does not mean they are collaborating with each other, because brands always want to create their own identity and avoid confusion with competitors.
Colombian players also use pink shoes in training sessions, showing that this trend does not only appear in official matches.
There is currently no scientific evidence that the color of the shoes can improve performance. However, sports brands believe that psychological factors play an important role.
That feeling comes from the overall product. Not just the manufacturing technology, but also the way all elements are combined.
When a player wears a Mercurial and feels it quickly, that feeling will contribute to strengthening confidence and performance. All factors complement each other" - Nimako said.
