2018 Ballon d'Or Boots Coming Tomorrow - Adidas Messi vs Nike Ronaldo Ballon d'Or Boots History | 2011 - 2018
Dec 2, 2018, by Pat
- Ballon d'Or Dominance: Since 2007, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won the Ballon d'Or or FIFA Player of the Year awards.
- Commemorative Boots: Following Ballon d'Or wins, both Adidas (for Messi) and Nike (for Ronaldo) have released special edition boots, although Messi's were not publicly sold until 2016.
- 2018 Award Uncertainty: Nike's 2018 Ballon d'Or boot has been leaked, but the winner is uncertain with Modric, Mbappe, and Ronaldo being the most likely contenders for the award.
Since AC Milan's Kaká won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year trophies in 2007, no player other than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has been able to lift either of the two main individual trophies that exist in football.
Over the last few years, it's not just been familiar faces appearing at the center of ever-expanding award ceremonies, the procedure has also become routine. Recently, each win was quickly followed by the launch of a special boot to commemorate the not so special occasion, in the case of Ronaldo's most recent triumph it took less than 24 hours from the award announcement in London to the 'Melhor' limited-edition boots dropping and selling out the next morning. But perhaps all of this is just testament to the greatness of these two extraordinary talents.
Today, we want to take a look at all recent Ballon d'Or boots that were released Adidas and Nike for Messi and Ronaldo, respectively. It's a trend that started when Messi won a third consecutive Ballon d'Or in early 2012, although the boots back then were not released to he public.
2010 - Lionel Messi - Adidas F50 Adizero
Messi received a custom gold and black Adidas F50 Adizero for his second Ballon d'Or title. The boot was not sold.
2011 - Lionel Messi - Adidas F50 Adizero
Celebrating Messi's third Ballon d'Or title and based on the likely best Adidas Adizero model in history, the golden, white and black Adidas Messi 2012 Ballon d'Or soccer cleats take our silver. These boots (and all following Messi Ballon d'Or boots) were not released to the public, a key difference from Nike's CR7 editions.
2012 - Lionel Messi - Adidas F50 Adizero
The next boot followed just a year later, introducing a truly unique and unconventional design that saw a black upper combined with gold details, most importantly four sun graphics, one for each golden ball.
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor IX CR7
It took Nike until March 2014 to release the first-ever Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d'Or boots, a classy white and gold edition that proved extremely popular as one of the first limited-edition football releases from the brand.
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Superfly CR7 Rare Gold
A year on, the first Ballon d'Or Boot to be based on the Nike Mercurial Superfly IV, introduced for the 2014 World Cup, was released. Fading from gold to black, it was another very successful limited-edition launch for the Swoosh.
2015 - Lionel Messi - Adidas Messi 15 Platinum
Messi won his most recent Ballon d'Or in early 2016 on the back of a treble-winning 2014-15 campaign. This time, Adidas went for an understated white and platinum effort, once again refraining from a public release.
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Superfly V CR7 Vitórias
In 2016, Nike went white for the first time, combining a subtly fading upper with gold-metallic and iridescent detailing.
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Superfly V CR7 Melhor * The Best Award
For the 2017 'The Best' award, Nike played it safe with a subtle update of Cristiano Ronaldo's most recent signature colorway. However, with the Ballon d'Or on the horizon, we expect another, hopefully more interesting boot to follow shortly.
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Superfly V CR7 'Quinto Triunfo'
To commemorate CR7 winning his fifth Ballon d'Or title Nike released a spectacular gold and white boots for the Portuguese, named the Nike Mercurial Superfly V CR7 SE 'Quinto Triunfo'.
2018 - Luka Modric - Nike Mercurial Luka Modric * The Best Award
Luka Modric received a spectacular Nike Mercurial Vapor 360 boot for his FIFA The Best award. The boot has not been worn by him, however.
2018 - Mbappe, Modric or Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Superfly 360
Nike's 2018 Ballon d'Or boot has been already leaked - it is now known yet who will win the award, however, with Modric, Mbappe and Ronaldo the most likely winners. It is also possible that Puma's Griezmann will win the trophy.
Bonus - 2016 - Lionel Messi - Adidas Messi 16+ Pureagility
Despite never being released, pictures of what would have been Messi's 2016 Ballon d'Or boots surfaced in March this year, showcasing a truly special design based on the Messi 16+ Pureagility model.
Which of the so far released Adidas and Nike Ballon d'Or boots is your favorite? Drop us a line below.
AS Roma 26-27 Lifestyle Shirt Revealed - 1994 Design Inspired
The new Adidas AS Roma 1994 retro jacket have been unveiled via the brand's online store. The design is inspired by the 1994 World Cup template, famously worn by Germany, which is given to various Adidas teams.
As for Giallorossi, the jacket uses the club's famous red and yellow colorway, combined with darker diamond pattern up top. It is expected to be worn by the players before games or during walkouts.
What do you think of the new Adidas AS Roma 1994 2026 jacket? Let us know in the comments.
FC Annecy 26-27 Away Kit Released
Ligue 2 outfit FC Annecy and technical sponsor Adidas have officially launched the club's new away jersey for the 26-27 season. Completing the team's set following the earlier arrivals of their home and third shirts, the new alternate look delivers a timeless and elegant aesthetic.
The Adidas FC Annecy 26-27 away shirt is built around a crisp white base, highlighted by a sharp red polo collar. Deep red detailing continues onto the shoulders with the brand's signature three stripes, as well as the Adidas logo on the chest and Annecy's stylized gothic 'A' crest. The club's various sponsor logos, headlined by shipping company MSC alongside regional partners E.Leclerc Annecy, Teamwork, and Haute-Savoie le Département, are also rendered in matching red tones.
The new strip is completed with white shorts and socks, and is set to be worn across their 26-27 Ligue 2 campaign.
FC Südtirol 26-27 Third Kit Released
Italian Serie B club FC Südtirol and technical sponsor Erreà have officially unveiled the new third kit for the 2026-27 campaign. Completing the club's matchday wardrobe alongside the previously launched home and away strips, the design draws strong inspiration from the natural alpine scenery and vineyard landscapes of the South Tyrol region.
The Erreà FC Südtirol 26-27 third jersey arrives in an elegant cream and off-white base complemented by deep forest green accents. A faint, tonal organic pattern runs across the fabric, while the front features the "Südtirol" wordmark alongside the iconic mountain silhouette in dark green, placed directly above main sponsor Alperia. Both the Erreà emblem and the diamond-shaped FCS crest are rendered in a clean monochrome green style.
Contrasting green detailing finishes the rear collar, sleeve cuffs, and side flanks of the shirt. The uniform is completed by matching off-white shorts and socks, both accented with forest green trim and club lettering. The FC Südtirol 26-27 third kit is available through the club's official store.
Erreà San Marino Women's 2026 Home & Away Kits Released
Italian sportswear brand Erreà and the San Marino Football Federation (FSGC) have officially revealed the first bespoke home and away kits for the newly established San Marino women's senior national football team. Founded earlier this year under the guidance of head coach Giulia Domenichetti, the squad will debut the new uniforms in their first official international friendly matches against Liechtenstein and Gibraltar.
Both jerseys take direct inspiration from San Marino's most famous national symbols, the Three Towers of Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale. The home shirt is predominantly white with delicate celeste blue and dark blue accents on the polo-style V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Subtly woven into the fabric is an embossed tone-on-tone pattern representing the historic towers, paired with matching white shorts and socks.
The away jersey flips the color scheme into a deep navy blue, highlighted by vertical repeating silhouettes of the Three Towers across the front. White side panels and light blue trim on the collar add sharp contrast, accompanied by matching navy shorts and socks. Both kits are produced using Erreà's lightweight Future fabric as part of the UEFA Kit Assistance Scheme, and feature custom "FSGC 1931" tape inside the back collar.
Champions League 'Debut' Sleeve Patches Make On-Pitch Debut
The brand-new UEFA Champions League 'Debut' sleeve patch made its official on-pitch appearance during Matchday 1 of the 26-27 season. Introduced through a collaboration between UEFA, UC3, and Topps (Fanatics Collectibles), the initiative is designed to highlight and celebrate players making their first-ever career appearance in Europe's premier club competition.
The special badge adds a curved blue emblem featuring the word 'DEBUT' integrated into the bottom of the iconic Champions League Starball sleeve badge, including the club badge of honour editions. The patch is strictly awarded for active on-pitch participation, meaning only starting players and substituted debutants wear it. Unused substitutes on the bench do not qualify until they physically step onto the pitch, and a player can only wear the debut badge once in their entire career.
The badge also bridges the gap between matchday kit and football memorabilia. Following the match, the blue 'DEBUT' element is removed from the player's match-worn jersey, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, and delivered to Topps. It will then be permanently embedded into a unique 1-of-1 autographed trading card for upcoming Topps collections, while the underlying badge remains visible on the shirt so the player can retain their jersey as a personal memento.
Next-Gen Puma Future 10 Prototype Spotted - Netfit Return?
Chelsea star and key Puma athlete Morgan Rogers has been spotted testing an intriguing all-white prototype during training, providing the first clear look at what is expected to be the next-generation Puma Future 10 football boots.
The most striking detail of the blackout/whiteout boot is a completely overhauled upper construction. Shifting away from the FUZIONFIT systems that defined recent iterations including the Future 9, the prototype features a distinct honeycomb-patterned structure. This textured webbing strongly recalls Puma's original Netfit concept from early Future models, hinting at a revived or modernized take on fully customizable lockdown and dynamic fit.
Along with the revamped upper, the boots appear to feature a low-profile knit collar and a lightweight soleplate tailored for agility and sharp turns. With top endorsers like Rogers already putting prototypes through their paces, the next-gen Puma Future 10 is expected to debut in late 2026 or early 2027 during the 26-27 season.