Lionel Messi has spent two decades rewriting football history. Now he’s turning up in your favorite streetwear brand’s feed.
Kith, the New York lifestyle label founded by Ronnie Fieg, announced the Kith & Messi for adidas Football collection on Instagram this week. The drop date is May 29, 2026. Kith kept the caption characteristically brief: “the international language of Messi.”
The post drew 721,712 likes, which is exceptional even by Kith’s standards. That kind of number signals something beyond the usual hype cycle. Messi’s name carries a global currency that very few athletes can match.
The collaboration is a natural fit for all three parties. adidas has been Messi’s kit sponsor for most of his professional career. The brand has outfitted him through FC Barcelona, Argentina’s World Cup campaigns, and now Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Kith, meanwhile, has built a reputation for pairing sportswear aesthetics with street credibility. Previous collaborations have included Nike, New Balance, and Versace.
This is one of Kith’s most notable football-focused releases. The sport and the streetwear world have been drawing closer for years. Landing Messi puts Kith squarely at the center of that shift.
Messi’s global profile has only grown in recent years. His 2022 FIFA World Cup win with Argentina cemented his legacy as arguably the finest footballer who ever played. He joined Inter Miami in 2023 and quickly pulled the club’s profile into international orbit. Ticket prices surged, jersey sales spiked, and MLS television numbers climbed. At this point, he’s less a sports figure and more a cultural institution.
Compared to contemporaries like Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, Messi has traditionally kept a lower profile in the fashion world. This collaboration marks a notable step into streetwear territory for one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.
Kith has been building its sports credentials steadily. Ronnie Fieg launched the brand in 2011 as a sneaker boutique in Manhattan. It’s since grown into a full lifestyle label with flagships in New York and international outposts, threading the needle between athletic function and high-fashion appeal.
adidas has had a particularly fertile run of lifestyle collaborations in recent years. Partnerships with Gucci, Fear of God, and Wales Bonner have established the brand as a serious presence in the fashion space – on the pitch and off it. Adding Messi to that mix, filtered through Kith’s design sensibility, pushes things even further.
Full product details haven’t been announced yet. The exact lineup – silhouettes, colorways, price points – remains unknown ahead of the May 29 release. Given the early engagement numbers, inventory won’t last long. Either way, May 29 is marked on a lot of calendars right now.
