Barcelona Embraces Mamba Mentality With 2025-26 Away Kits – Plus More European Unveilings

Spanish La Liga powerhouses FC Barcelona are embracing the late great Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” with their new away kits for 2025-26, made by Nike.

The predominantly gold kit features Nike’s “Kobe Sheath” logo on the right chest in place of their usual swoosh logo. The Barça crest and the sponsor logo on the front of the shirt also feature a snakeskin texture. Purple stripes run through the middle of the black crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Tapering black and purple panels run down the sides, while tapering black panels also run over the shoulders.

All in all, it is part of a brand collaboration between the NBA legend and FC Barcelona that is born out of a shared culture of sporting excellence characterised Bryant and is also part of FC Barcelona’s DNA. This new development strengthens the link between Nike and FC Barcelona and aims to extend the influence of the ‘Mamba Mentality’ and inspire new generations of athletes both on and off the field.
— FC Barcelona

This is the first time the Kobe Sheath has replaced the Nike swoosh on a soccer jersey. The logo for Nike’s Jordan brand, however, has appeared on kits for French Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain since 2019-20. This includes PSG’s home kit in 2021-22.

Courtesy **FC Barcelona** and **Paris Saint-Germain**

The collaboration between Barcelona and the Kobe brand will last three seasons, until 2027-28. The kit and a collection of related products is now on sale on Barça’s online store. The kit will make its on-pitch debut on Thursday, July 31, when Barça takes on FC Seoul in the South Korean capital.

NEWCASTLE UNITED – Away

For the fourth season in a row, Premier League side Newcastle United have gone with some combination of green and white for an away or third kit, including their 2025-26 away kit, which is made by adidas and was unveiled earlier this week. This time around, the jersey is predominantly green, with a tonal graphic on the front and sleeves “that pays homage to the arched-structure of the famous Tyne Bridge, one of Newcastle’s most famous landmarks.” The shoulder stripes, tapering side panels and piping on the front and sleeve cuffs are white, and the V-neck collar has white and green trim on the sides.

WEST HAM UNITED – Third

Premier League side West Ham United put the hammers from their crest front and centre on their third kit for 2025-26, made by Umbro. The Oxford navy shirt — a reflection of the first kits the team wore in 1895, when they were known as Thames Ironworks — has a tonal pattern of cross hammers woven into the fabric and is accented with gold trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs. The hammers from the crest are also gold and sit independently on the left chest, the first time they’ve done so on a West Ham kit since 1985.

AFC BOURNEMOUTH – Away

Premier League side AFC Bournemouth pays homage to their club history with the reintroduction of a blue-and-black away for 2025-26, made by Umbro. The colour scheme is one Bournemouth has used in the past, and it is enhanced by aqua pinstripe detailing on the black vertical stripes. The club crest and Umbro logo are also rendered in aqua, while the sleeves and back are solid blue.

FULHAM FC – Home

Fulham FC hope winning will be woven into their new home kits for the 2025-26 Premier League season, which are made by adidas. Fulham’s traditional white home kit is adorned with an embossed pattern representing the iconic ironwork in the balcony of their home ground, Craven Cottage. The ironwork is also found in a rubber detail on the back collar. The front of the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs are black with white stripes through the middle, while the shoulder stripes and piping down the sides are solid black.

🇩🇪 VfB STUTTGART – Away

Meanwhile in Germany, Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart pays tribute to their home city’s “cultural landscape and unique location in the valley” with their 2025-26 away kit, made by Jako. The predominantly red shirt features a tonal pattern of grape leaves and vines as an homage to the vineyards that have surrounded Stuttgart since the Middle Ages. The shirt is framed by a white V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, both with red stripes through the centre.

🇩🇪 1. FSV MAINZ 05 – Third

It ain’t broke, so 1. FSV Mainz 05 isn’t going to fix it. For their 2025-26 third kit, the Bundesliga club is using the same ’90s-inspired design as the away kit unveiled last week, but in different colours. The base of the third kit is a light grey, with the distorted details on the right side and left shoulder in charcoal. Magenta details appear at the collarbones

🇫🇷 RC STRASBOURG ALSACE – Away

French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg Alsace aims for “a design that spans the ages” with their 2025-26 away kit, made by adidas. The off-white base features two stripes across the chest in Strasbourg’s historic shades of blue. The polo collar, shoulder stripes and sleeve cuff piping are all royal blue, while the piping down the sides is light blue.

🇫🇷 STADE RENNAIS – Away

Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais wear their Breton pride on their sleeves — and chest and back — with their 2025-26 away kit, made by PUMA. The white kit is embossed with a pattern of diagonal lines, with regional symbols at their intersections and ermines from the flag of Brittany in the spaces in between.

🇮🇹 GENOA CFC – Away

Over in Italy, Serie A side Genoa CFC are celebrating their English roots with their 2025-26 away kit, made by Kappa. The front of the white kit features a red St. George’s Cross, a symbol that appears both on the England flag and the Genoa crest. According to the club, the St. George’s Cross was originally used by the Republic of Genoa in the Middle Ages to protect its ships, and English ships could get permission to use it by paying a tribute. Genoa CFC itself was founded in 1893 by English citizens living in Italy, including James Richardson Spensley, “a London goalkeeper and doctor, a key figure in the birth and development of football in Italy.” The collar and sleeve cuffs have gold trim, and the club’s griffon head secondary crest is also rendered in gold.