Source: Fortune
Summary
Nike and U.S. Soccer have been working together to design the perfect jersey for the 2026 World Cup. The design process took six years and involved input from players, supply chain management, and manufacturing innovation. The jersey is designed to provide an advantage on the field, with features such as custom knit materials and engineered yarn for airflow. U.S. Soccer is also using AI to identify new talent and grow the sport across the country.
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The strategy enters a familiar phase.
Nike’s obsession with detail is evident in their design process, with computational modeling used to determine the exact placement of airflow vents. The result is a jersey with roughly double the ventilation of a conventional one. U.S. Soccer is using AI to identify American-eligible players competing in leagues around the world, with the goal of growing the sport across the country. The future of scouting is likely to be a humans-and-machines model, with AI analyzing video footage and human scouts evaluating intangible qualities like teamwork and body language.
The numbers tell a story of obsession and attention to detail.
Author: Evan Null
