21. FC Barcelona
Perhaps Nike’s most famous soccer sponsorship is their one of FC Barcelona. Lionel Messi becoming a global superstar certainly helped these kits jump into the mainstream. Barcelona’s home kit might be the most recognized and famous jersey in the world.
There’s not too much you can do with a red and blue color scheme. However, credit Nike for making it interesting and appealing. The red and blue stripes are extremely clean and nice. Teams tend to lean towards having horizontal stripes, but in this case, the vertical stripes work perfectly. My only complaint is the kit is a bit too blue, to the point where the players look like Smurfs. But to be fair, if dark blue’s your primary color, it’s all but unavoidable.
The subtle stripes give the jersey a gorgeous, sleek modern look. Consider me a huge fan of the red side stripe, as it adds a bit more of the red into the kit.
Their away kit is very nice as well. It has a different color scheme (black and pink), but it’s one that works very well. My only issue is it has a bit too much black. Add a little bit more pink to it. Don’t overdo it, but some subtle stripes would make it even better.
Barcelona’s jerseys are a great example of Nike upgrading a classic look without taking away the history of the uniform. For many years, they had a half red and half blue top with matching sleeves. Barcelona’s current jerseys are a huge upgrade and they still pay tribute to their original look.
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