Why Do Players' Shirts Keep Tearing in the 2026 World Cup?

The incident of Czech player Pavel Schultz's shirt tearing during the match against South Korea in the 2026 World Cup has reignited the discussion about the quality of modern football shirts. Images of the torn shirt went viral on social media, amid growing questions about the reasons for this recurring phenomenon in major tournaments.

During the 26th minute of the match between South Korea and the Czech Republic, part of Group A competitions, Schultz experienced a pull from behind during a clash with one of the opponents, causing his shirt to tear significantly, forcing him to change it a few minutes later.

Although the scene seemed strange to many observers, specialists affirm that it is directly related to the developments in the sportswear industry in recent years, where manufacturers have increasingly focused on lightweight and freedom of movement at the expense of the traditional durability of fabrics.

Sacrificing durability for performance.

In modern football, a player covers between 10 and 12 kilometers in a single match, making every extra gram on his body a significant factor in his performance level, especially during the final minutes when physical fatigue increases.

Based on this information, Puma developed the "Ultraweave" technology, which produced one of the lightest shirts in the history of the game, weighing no more than 72 grams. To achieve this feat, the fabric thickness was minimized and ultra-flexible fabrics that stretch in four different directions were used, in addition to reducing the number of traditional stitches and replacing them with lightweight thermal bonds.

However, these technical advantages came at the expense of the shirt's ability to withstand the strong tensile and friction forces experienced during matches, making it more prone to tearing during physical clashes.

This is not the first time Puma has faced such criticism. During the 2016 UEFA European Championship, several Swiss national team players encountered similar situations when their shirts repeatedly tore during matches.

Later, the German company clarified that a batch of fabrics used at the time experienced a defect during the manufacturing process, which affected the material's durability and made it more fragile than usual when subjected to sudden tensile forces.

These shirts relied on the "ACTV Thermo-R" technology, designed to cling to the body like a second skin, using a blend of elastin and polyester fibers to support muscles and enhance physical performance while running. However, this design pushed the fabric to the limits of its durability.

The phenomenon is not limited to Puma.

The problem was not limited to the German company alone. During the 2023-2024 season, Aston Villa faced similar issues with Castore's jerseys, as players complained about the fabric retaining moisture and sticking excessively to the body.

Castore's partnership with Newcastle United ended prematurely due to complaints related to the fabric tearing easily and the peeling of logos affixed with heat transfer techniques.

In the United States, the 2017 NBA season saw the tearing of jerseys of several stars, including LeBron James, after Nike adopted ultra-light materials. Investigations later revealed that the method of reinforcing stitches and thermal printing was behind these issues.

From loose shirts to smart clothing

Football has undergone a radical transformation in sportswear design over the past few decades. While shirts were wide and loose in the 1990s, companies gradually began shifting towards more form-fitting designs.

Studies have shown that these shirts help reduce air resistance, improve physical performance, and better highlight players' motor abilities, prompting companies to reduce the amount of fabric used year after year.

Nevertheless, the materials currently used are designed with great precision, where each type of fabric serves a specific function within the shirt.

With the continuous advancements in material sciences, the function of shirts in the future may go beyond just wearing them, becoming tools for collecting athletes' physical data.

During training, smart shirts, bracelets, and shoes equipped with sensors can collect precise information about players' performance while moving, without affecting their freedom on the field.

This data includes the player's speed, the distance covered, heart rate, and many other indicators, which are later analyzed and transformed into scientifically designed training programs that help coaches adjust their tactical plans and make more accurate decisions.