How Brazil’s infectious football spirit and Jordan became a match made in heaven

It was quite the juxtaposition: Paris Fashion Week on Monday, São Paulo on Wednesday (stay with me). When Nike got in touch about its basketball line, Jordan, moving into football, I was wandering down a narrow, cobbled Paris backstreet and zeroed in on the email.

I’ll be the first to admit: football isn’t my strong suit. My peak on-pitch era had been primary school, dribbling around cones while boys convinced themselves they’d be the next Cristiano Ronaldo (they weren’t). Later, I found myself blackmailed into taking my brother and nephew to practise in Osterley, London, where I spent most of my time scrolling Tumblr on the sidelines.

But Brazil is a place where football isn’t just loved; it’s inhaled, ubiquitous, exciting. I promptly said yes and changed my Eurostar ticket. After a quick pitstop in London, I boarded a 12-hour flight, mildly spiralling as I watched HBO’s All Her Fault. I pictured a cohort of footie obsessives talking about the beautiful game non-stop, while I could only name the hot players: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jack Grealish (not my type, but I see it), Jude Bellingham… Worst case, I’d pivot to talking about Balenciaga’s AW20 football moment.

In São Paulo, football was everywhere. Subtle, yet constant: in airport shops stacked with Brazil shirts, on a passer-by’s backpack charm modelled on a favourite player. Granted, London’s football obsession isn’t lost on me, but this felt different. I’d barely stepped outside the airport and I was, well, into it.

Fast forward a few hours to a match between Corinthians and Coritiba, a fleeting on-screen appearance by Spike Lee in a box a few doors down, and the night drew to a close just hours before the Brazil and Jordan kit debut.

On the morning of the reveal, I spoke with Sarah Mensah, president of Jordan brand, clad in Teyana Taylor’s iteration of the Air Jordan 3s. Her excitement was palpable. Each step of the collaboration, she explained, had been meticulous and ​“intentional,” and Jordan’s initial foray into football with PSG dating back to 2018, had been just a taste of what was to come. ​“The conversation with the Federation started a long time ago. Years ago, even,” she added.

Naturally, we pivoted to the edge-of-our-seat Corinthians match from the night before. The team had suffered a thrashing, but between pitch injuries and the thundering cheers from the stands, it was undeniably a memorable experience for any first-timer in South America. Recalling the electric atmosphere, Sarah highlighted how Jordan aimed to translate that energy from the kit straight through to everyday wear. ​“The more we spend time really communicating with Brazilian football fans around the world and understanding the brilliance of that community, the more we see it’s as much about passion as it is flair, expression, and energy,” she continued.

Breaking down the collection further, and teasing what was to follow, we talked through the streetwear line: two-tone hoodies, dresses and breathable shorts that could absorb all the sweat of a nail-biting World Cup game this summer, naturally, all adorned in the colours of the Brazil flag. Curious about what players on the ground would be wearing, I pivoted the chat accordingly. Fans would be able to get their hands on a kit made from 100 per cent textile waste in yellow and blue, plus some tactile, acid-orange Tiempo Maestro football boots inspired by the look of elephant skin, sure to fly off the shelves. “[The Jordan x Brazil kit collaboration] feels very similar to what we’ve seen, even in the basketball communities that were initially so infectious,” she said. ​“There’s something really special that’s happening here, and it’ll resonate across the globe.”

As our time together wrapped, I threw in a few quick-fire questions. Her first pair of the iconic trainers? ​“Air Jordan 1s. My parents wouldn’t buy me Jordans, so they became very aspirational for me,” Sarah said, coyly. Asked about her favourite player, she smiled mischievously: ​“Michael Jordan,” she replied, a cheeky glint in her eye. With that, I headed back to the hotel, pumped for the main event: the global unveiling of the Brasil X Jordan World Cup kit.

Hopping off the bus, the bass-thumping, bone-rattling music seeped out of the red-lit venue, Estádio Sinistro. Inside, a large sculpture of a raven sat at the centre, its blackened pupils emblazoned with the Jumpman logo. A red screen counted down the final seconds, then a montage of players appeared. After a few words from Mensah, the celebration turned up a notch as dancers moved fluidly to Brazilian trap, and out stepped Ronaldinho (I know him!) in the kit, greeted by a room full of cheers.

After the dancing subsided and the footballers’ kick-ups came to a halt, platforms displaying people in the full Brazil Jordan kits appeared around the room, signalling the start of the customisation station. Down a flight of stairs at the afterparty, more floor-shaking Brazilian tunes filled the space, drawing people to the dance floor, and a mini moshpit ensued after Sheck Wes performed Mo Bamba and a flurry of other hits. A hangover later, three hours of sleep under my belt, some pics I’d rather forget and new friends I surely wouldn’t, it was time to wrap up my time in Brazil.

At breakfast, I caught up with a few people from the trip. Noah, founder of Peche Football, was barely awake but already clad in his freshly delivered Jordan × Brazil T‑shirt, still buzzing as he relived the set-up, custom jerseys and montage of the greatest players to grace the pitch. For Daniel, who had flown in from Australia and worked across campaign and production at Complex, it was all about the storytelling and the slowly unfurling suspense of it all.

My takeaway? I’m no closer to earning a spot on Match of the Day, but I’d never turn down a challenge – and this one was absolutely unforgettable. São Paulo, consider me officially smitten.