Like many fashion designers, the creative teams behind the 2014 World Cup kits begin their process with “inspiration boards“—visual collages where they gather the concepts and colors for their clothing. And what was on team Mexico’s board? None other than the masked and caped crusaders of lucha libre—the colorful, high-flying form of Mexican wrestling that’s the nation’s second most popular sport (behind soccer).
Of the 18 jerseys that Adidas sent to the World Cup (that’s home and away jerseys for nine contenders), Jen Valentine, who manages soccer marketing in the US for Adidas, told Quartz, “The Mexico home jersey is definitely the most inspirational and passionate jersey that we have. They have a lightning bolt graphic, which has never been executed on their jerseys before. It was quite fitting for the Mexican national team, and their fight to qualify.” Keep it clean out there, Mexico.
