Ahead of the home World Cup, the USA are making a statement off the pitch as well: against Germany, the team wore pieces from the new Nike x Virgil Abloh Archive Collection.
In their final test before the home World Cup, the United States national team made a statement off the pitch in Chicago. Before kick-off against Germany, the US players walked out in pre-match jackets from the Nike x Virgil Abloh Archive Collection. During the warm-up, the team wore matching warm-up shirts. On the pitch, the night ended with a 2-1 defeat to Germany. Visually, the appearance still stood out.
The collection was created together with the Virgil Abloh Archive and is part of Nike’s World Cup build-up. Abloh, who died in 2021, was the founder of Off-White, creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear and one of the defining designers of his generation.
It picks up typical elements from his work: clean typography, college and rugby details, strong US colours and a look that brings football apparel closer to streetwear. Alongside the pre-match jackets and shirts, the pieces also include rugby tops, caps and bags. The US team had already worn pieces from the Nike x Virgil Abloh Archive collaboration around the 3-2 win against Senegal.
Nike Releases Virgil Abloh Archive Collaboration for USMNT
The collection will first be released on June 11 via the Virgil Abloh Archive and channels of the US national team. On June 13, it will be released at Dover Street Market, followed by Nike SNKRS and selected retailers on June 16.
Nike places the USA collection within a series of projects created specifically for the World Cup. France gets a collaboration with Jacquemus, England gets a collection with Palace, Canada works with Nocta, and the Netherlands with Patta. The national teams are being staged even more strongly through fashion.
Nike is also going big with its World Cup communication. The US sportswear brand recently released the six-minute film “Rip The Script”, a highly produced campaign in Hollywood style. It features Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior and LeBron James, among others. James can be seen wearing a top from the Nike x Virgil Abloh Archive Collection.
For the USA, this approach makes particular sense. The home World Cup is also a stage for style and self-image. The Nike x Virgil Abloh Archive Collection brings together football, fashion and American sports culture.
