A hidden quote, a colour full of meaning: FC Barcelona continue their collaboration with Nike's Kobe brand with the new 2026/27 away kit.
FC Barcelona and Nike have unveiled the new away kit for the 2026/27 season, the second chapter of their collaboration with the Kobe brand, Nike's signature line for basketball star Kobe Bryant, who died in 2020. Following last season's launch, the partnership, set to run for three seasons, continues.
The shirt is predominantly black and fades into purple towards the hem, the colour that defined Bryant's years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Gold details reflect his uncompromising drive for success. Add to that a snakeskin pattern, an iridescent club crest, the Kobe logo on the chest, and a well-known Bryant quote inside the collar: „Leave the game better than you found it.“ The line dates back to 2017 and stands as one of his most quoted statements about his own legacy.
Technically, Nike relies on AeroSwift and Dri-FIT ADV, said to combine lightness, breathability, and comfort. Fronting the campaign are players from both first teams, including Pedri, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Frenkie de Jong, Ewa Pajor, and Claudia Pina.
The Kobe brand at FC Barcelona: a premiere with history
The collaboration made waves last season: for the first time in over 25 years, the Nike Swoosh gave way to a different logo on a Barça shirt, the „Kobe Sheath“, the sword symbol of the Bryant line. It also marked the first time the mark had ever appeared on a professional football shirt, comparable to Jordan at Paris Saint-Germain or Nocta at Venezia FC.
The connection runs deeper than marketing: Bryant was a known FC Barcelona supporter, visited the club on several occasions, and admired its style of play. The Kobe brand has been run in partnership with his widow Vanessa Bryant and the Bryant estate since his death.
From shirt to sneaker: the new Kobe collection from Barça and Nike
The away kit is part of a wider collection of new jerseys that, alongside training and sportswear pieces, includes exclusive FC Barcelona editions of the Nike Dunk Low and the Kobe 3. The shirt will make its on-pitch debut in the season's opening pre-season fixtures.
The new away kit is available now at the FC Barcelona online store, Barça Stores, and Nike.
