“Allez Les Bleus!” roared triumphantly around the Stade de France as they dismantled yet another team, enroute to World Cup qualification.
The victims this time? A Dutch team, low on confidence yes, but not in talent, as the exuberant French national side showed exactly why they’ll be considered a serious contender this summer when the footballing world convenes in Russia.
They won 4-0 that night.
Today the world has another reason to be envious of French football as Nike unveiled the kit that the French Football Federation will be wearing during the tournament.
“The way the French express patriotism is through the flag and we wanted to celebrate how the bleu, blanc and rouge brings people together”
~ Pete Hoppins, Nike Football Apparel Senior Design Director
Drawing from cultural duality the 2018 Nike French Football Federation (FFF) collection celebrates the iconic tricolore with a home kit recreating the “Bleu, Blanc, Rouge” from head to toe and the collar closed by a button embossed with the national motto, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”. The away kit shirt appears plain white, but on closer inspection reveals a subtle red and blue hyper-speckle knit through the body.
“Lethal elegance” is a phrase they use to describe this kit; given these new visuals combined with their devastating output on the pitch, it’s hard to argue with them.
A final acknowledgement of French national pride, before the start of the game players will line up to form the tricolore through evenly distributed red, white and blue anthem jackets for the singing of the French anthem, “Le Marseillaise.”
The 2018 French Football Federation collection is available April 5th on nike.com and at select retailers.
