Overview
- Nike, which acknowledged the flaw Friday, said performance is unaffected and pledged a fast fix for players and fans.
- The raised seam first showed up during late-March national team games, with visible shoulder bulges on kits for France, England and Uruguay.
- Fans who paid up to €160 for the new shirts reported the same bulge at home, and some said steaming or washing reduced it.
- Twelve teams plan to wear Nike at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, leaving about 60 days to adjust stock already produced and sold.
- The shirts debut Nike’s Aero-Fit design meant to improve cooling, yet the visible shoulder ridge has shifted attention to a cosmetic fault.