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Photography courtesy of NikeMay 29, 2026FashionNike celebrates the culture of soccer ahead of a summer shaped by the game

As the world’s biggest soccer moment approaches, Nike’s new Express Collection celebrates U.S. Soccer while continuing its legacy of investing in the culture of the game

ShareLink copied ✔️ In Partnership with Nike May 29, 2026May 29, 2026Text Dazed Digital

With summer 2026 on the horizon, the infectious spirit of soccer feels inescapable. This year, as the soccer world’s biggest tournament quickly approaches, Nike is continuing its legacy of investing in the culture of the sport.

Nike’s journey to soccer started in the iconic sportswear brand’s birthplace: Oregon. In 1978, after the young label had already begun to take over the running scene, Nike signed with Portland’s professional team, the Timbers, marking one of its first major entries into the sport. The decades that followed were like a striker dashing towards an open goal, with the brand eventually dressing winning international teams like England’s Aston Villa FC, Brazil’s national team, the US women’s national team, and plenty more. Though Nike, of course, has ties to every sport, soccer is perhaps the game that best represents the brand’s penchant for disruption.

Today, nearly 50 years after that first signing, Nike is more enmeshed in the soccer world than ever. Of course, apparel and footwear are a part of that, with the brand still dressing the world’s most major teams and producing national team kits that showcase a country’s heritage through clothing. (The brand’s latest drop, for example, the Express Collection, blends sport, street style and cultural expression.)

The larger story, however, is the way the brand has uplifted the culture around soccer, hosting worldwide community events that celebrate fans' love of the game. There’s perhaps no better example of this than Toma, Nike’s youth-led street soccer platform created to unleash the joy and creativity of the game through neighbourhood tournaments and local experiences.

Since its launch in 2025, Toma experiences have taken place in Los Angeles, Seoul, Mexico City, and more. Nike continues investing in the next generation of soccer communities — creating spaces where local players, creators and fans can celebrate the game through competition, creativity and self-expression. This past spring, Toma activated in Atlanta, where the city’s top soccer lovers competed for dominance, danced to performances from homegrown talent like 21 Savage, and shopped exclusive Nike Toma merch. A celebration of community and culture, the event showcased the unparalleled energy and love that soccer fans bring to the game.

As the world gears up for this summer’s tournament, Nike is keeping the game’s fans, and its culture, front of mind.

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