Is Nike recalling its World Cup jerseys over ugly shoulder defect?

Ahead of the March international window, Nike unveiled the complete jersey lineup for its 2026 World Cup teams. And from a design standpoint, the reception was overwhelmingly positive across the board.

That was until the teams wore the jerseys in actual matches.

This World Cup will be the first iteration of Nike's latest jersey system that the company is calling Aero‑FIT. As part of the jersey construction, there is piping that goes down the shoulder. And the result has been an ugly, almost shoulder-pad look.

It seemed to be an issue across Nike's entire jersey portfolio as fans roasted the look. It was so obvious that Nike released a statement about the defective design. It said via BBC:

"During the recent international break, we observed a minor issue with our Nike national team kits, most noticeable around the shoulder seam.

"Performance is unaffected, but the overall aesthetic is not where it needs to be."

While Nike did add that it was looking at steps to make matters right for players and fans, there are no plans for an actual recall of the jerseys that have already been sold.

"We always hold ourselves and our products to the highest standards and this fell short," the spokesperson said.

"We're working quickly to make this right for players and fans, because every kit should reflect the care, precision and pride that the game deserves."

In the meantime, fans have looked for solutions to address it. And so far, steaming the shoulders has proven effective.

We'll have to see if Nike produces and sells a fixed jersey product come World Cup time, but for fans on the fence about buying a jersey, it's probably a good idea to wait.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is Nike recalling its World Cup jerseys over ugly shoulder defect?