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Adidas calls widespread pink soccer cleats at World Cup an 'accident'

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Adidas apologized for the widespread appearance of pink soccer cleats during the 2026 World Cup, calling it an "accident."
  • The brand's CEO, Bjørn Gulden, stated that the uniformity of color was unexpected and not a deliberate strategy.
  • Adidas plans to introduce a wider variety of colors in upcoming collections to avoid similar situations.

Adidas has attributed the striking uniformity of pink soccer cleats worn by numerous players during the recent World Cup to a mere "coincidence" and offered apologies for the unexpected trend. Bjørn Gulden, CEO of the sportswear giant, addressed the issue during a press conference discussing quarterly earnings.

Pink is a beautiful color, without a doubt. But the fact that we all ended up with the same color was strange.

— Bjørn GuldenThe Adidas CEO describes the unexpected uniformity of pink cleats.

Gulden emphasized that the proliferation of pink cleats was neither a coordinated strategy nor an imposed trend by major brands. He acknowledged the strangeness of multiple manufacturers converging on the same color, stating, "Pink is a beautiful color, without a doubt. But the fact that we all ended up with the same color was strange." He further commented, "I think it was an accident. And honestly, I don't think anyone liked it."

I think it was an accident. And honestly, I don't think anyone liked it.

— Bjørn GuldenGulden explains Adidas's stance on the pink cleat trend and apologizes.

According to Odinga Nimako, Nike's football product manager, wearing bright colors like pink is often seen by players as a sign of confidence. However, Gulden suggested that manufacturers typically lack visibility into competitors' precise choices before collection launches. He pointed to distributors as the entities with a comprehensive view of upcoming collections, suggesting they should have alerted brands to the impending color overlap. "Normally, they should have told us: 'Wait a minute, you're all doing the same color.' But nobody told us anything."

When you wear such a loud and bright color like pink, you really have to be very good to pull it off.

— Odinga NimakoNike's football product manager comments on the perception of wearing bright colors in sports.

Adidas has pledged to restore color diversity in its upcoming footwear lines. "We change colors every quarter. When the season resumes, you will see many shoes that are not pink," Gulden assured, signaling a return to broader aesthetic choices for players.

Normally, they should have told us: 'Wait a minute, you're all doing the same color.' But nobody told us anything.

— Bjørn GuldenThe Adidas CEO points to distributors for failing to flag the potential color overlap among brands.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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