Barcelona pay tribute to Kobe Bryant as they unveil new away kit for 2025/26 season; 3-year collaboration set to have many other accessories

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Barcelona have officially launched their away kit for the 2025/26 season today, a Nike collaboration honoring late NBA icon Kobe Bryant. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with Los Angeles Lakers, was a staunch supporter of the Catalan club and was often seen linking up with Barca players both on his visit to the club and during the squad’s trips to the U.S. before his passing in 2020.

The new jersey, which is available in two different colors, features Kobe Bryant’s ‘Kobe Sheath’ logo, replacing the famous Nike ‘swoosh’ on the chest. The move is aimed at strengthening the relationship between Nike and Barca and also continuing Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ and inspiring new generations of athletes both on and off the field.

The LaLiga champions presented the away kit through a video on social media that showed several members of the men’s and women’s teams conducting one of their famous ‘rondo’ training exercises.

Players like Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina, Ewa Pajor, Patri Guijarro, and Salma Paralluelo featured in the video promotion. The jersey has a snakeskin texture that extends to the Barcelona crest, serving as a tribute to Kobe Bryant’s iconic 'Black Mamba' nickname.

In addition, Barcelona confirmed that the collaboration will last three seasons, until 2027/28. It also includes a pre-game shirt in black, basketball kit, tracksuit and Barça x Kobe limited edition sports shoes, amongst others.

The new second kit is already available for sale at offline stores, both the club's website and Nike, as Barca revealed on their website. The kit will be officially debuted by the first team in their match against FC Seoul on Thursday, July 31, in the South Korean capital.


Barcelona’s El Clasico kit for 2025/26 season leaked; pays tribute to legendary Bernabeu win – Reports

Barcelona’s fourth kit for the 2025/26 season, specifically designed for El Clasico, has reportedly been leaked. According to X user @memorabilia1899, Barca’s El Clasico jersey for the upcoming season is inspired by the jersey they wore in their memorable 3-0 demolition of Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu on November 19, 2005.

Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring on that night in the 14th minute, while Ronaldinho stole the show with two solo goals in the 58th and 77th minutes. As a special tribute to that match, the minutes of the three goals (14, 58, and 77) are printed inside the collar of the shirt, according to Barca Universal.

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About the author

Ezekiel Olamide

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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