--- title: "Nike’s AI-Inspired World Cup Jerseys Are So Messed Up That They’re Turning Into a Scandal" description: "Athletes are stuck with their awkwardly fitting garments as the scandal surrounding Nike's AI-inspired World Cup jerseys continues to grow." date: "2026-06-12" modified: "2026-06-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/nike-ai-world-cup-jerseys-scandal" categories: - "Future Society" --- # Nike’s AI-Inspired World Cup Jerseys Are So Messed Up That They’re Turning Into a Scandal ![A photo illustration featuring a close-up of a player wearing the Nike Jersey where the seam is very pointedly standing out off the shoulder.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Molly Darlington - FIFA / FIFA via Getty Images* From [price gouging fans]() on ticket prices to FIFA's [infamously corrupt leadership]() handing president Donald Trump a ludicrous "[Peace Prize]()" in a naked attempt to curry favor, this year's World Cup has long been mired in controversy. Even the athletes' assigned sportswear on the pitch hasn't been safe from ridicule and questionable decision making. Earlier this year, [fans noticed something genuinely bizarre](): awkward and unnaturally pointed shoulders bulging out of the Nike-designed jerseys of some of football's biggest megastars. It certainly wasn't user error. As it turns out, the athletic apparel corporation may have drunk a little too much of the AI Kool-Aid, partially relying on the tech to the design the jerseys. "Performance is unaffected, but the overall aesthetic is not where it needs to be," a Nike spokesperson [told *The Guardian*]() at the time, calling it a "minor issue." Months on, athletes are stuck with their awkwardly fitting garments as the scandal continues to grow. As [the British newspaper reports](), it was too late for Nike to back to the drawing board. Instead, the company told member federations to wash and steam the shoulders to get them to look less ridiculous. Nike boasted back in March that its new "Aero-FIT" design, which is supposed to help athletes keep cool, "leverages computational design and a highly specialized, stich-specific knitting process." A source told *The Guardian* that the design "incorporates elements of AI to work alongside the company’s designers as they craft a product." Fortunately, the hilariously pointed shoulders [appear to be less noticeable]() thanks to the treatment. However, the many fans who bought one of Nike's jerseys may be unaware they'll have to be carefully wash and steam them in order to not look ridiculous around the shoulders. That's not exactly reassuring, especially considering a United States jersey [can go for well over $100](). **More on the jerseys:** [*Nike’s AI Designed World Cup Jerseys Are a Disaster*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()