FC Barcelona’s 2025–26 ‘Mamba’ away kit is more than just a new shirt. It’s a bold statement at the intersection of legacy, ambition, and cross-sport cultural fusion. Unveiled on Tuesday, this striking gold and purple kit honors the late Kobe Bryant, channeling his “Mamba Mentality” in collaboration with Nike and the Bryant estate.
For the first time in football history, Nike has replaced its iconic swoosh with the Kobe Sheath logo on a professional kit. The change is emblematic. The entire design leans into Kobe’s ethos, relentless improvement, psychological toughness, and a legacy built through discipline.
The base color is Team Gold, accented in Persian Violet and black, mirroring the Los Angeles Lakers colors Bryant wore for two decades. The fabric itself is textured with a subtle snakeskin jacquard, a direct reference to Kobe’s “Black Mamba” moniker. Even the FC Barcelona crest has been re-rendered in a glossy, blacked-out snakeskin finish.
Shorts and socks continue the motif. Black shorts feature violet details and snakeskin striping. The socks are marked with Kobe’s logo on the shin and “Barça” along the calf. Together, the ensemble evokes both predator and performance, protective armor for a squad hungry to return to European dominance.
A new kind of tribute kit
The campaign launching the kit, titled “Mamba Rondo,” featured stars from both Barça’s men’s and women’s squads, including Gavi, Alexia Putellas, and Salma Paralluelo. The promotional video is grounded in the club’s signature rondo passing drill, interpreted as a metaphor for obsessive precision. The message? “Better is the only choice.”
The Mamba kit is part of a broader Kobe x Barça capsule collection. It includes lifestyle apparel, limited-edition sneakers like the Kobe 4 Protro in Barça colors, and snakeskin-patterned training gear. All items dropped globally via Nike and FC Barcelona stores starting July 29, with the team wearing the kit for the first time in Seoul on July 31.
By pairing Kobe’s Mamba legacy with Barça’s global platform, Nike has created more than merchandise. It’s a wearable idea, a fusion of two dynasties across disciplines. And whether on pitch or pavement, it asks the same thing of all who wear it: better is the only choice.
