For anyone who grew up watching football in the 1990s and early 2000s, the goalkeeper jersey was a genre all its own. It was the era of the eccentric shot-stopper: Jorge Campos, for instance, in oversized neon geometrics or Peter Schmeichel in kaleidoscopic fractals. It was a time when the person between the sticks was arguably the biggest fashion risk-taker on the pitch.
Nike Football is tapping directly into that audacious, main-character energy to kickstart the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. The new Hollywood Keepers collection is described as a “disruptive design statement,” serving as a prologue to the official federation kits dropping later next year.
The concept flips the script on traditional kit launches. Instead of the outfield players leading the narrative, Nike is letting the keepers set the tone. Because this initial drop is a sportswear collection rather than the regulated match-day uniform, the design team has been able to ignore the strict FIFA guidelines on patterns and clashes, resulting in maximum creativity.
This collection unites eight select federations: Brazil, Canada, England, France, Nigeria, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United States. The unifying element across all is the bold archival star design from vintage keeper kits, making its 21st-century return alongside bespoke prints that transform each shirt into a canvas for national identity.
The specific designs are surprisingly intricate. England’s edition unleashes the iconic Three Lions in a savage, dominant design that feels aggressive and true to the nation’s footballing weight. The United States gets a flashy remix of its roots, blending reimagined stars and stripes with high-voltage flair. Perhaps the most striking is Korea’s entry, which captures the duality of its heritage by layering a delicate peony print beneath a bold tiger pattern, all accented by streaks of electric volt.
It is a savvy move from Nike: celebrating the legacy of the game’s most eccentric personalities while defining the next era of kit culture. While the official on-pitch uniforms will debut closer to the tournament in 2026, the Hollywood Keepers sportswear collection is now available online and at select retailers, ensuring the hype starts long before the first whistle blows.
Discover more here.
photography. courtesy of Nike
words. Gennaro Costanzo
