Tunnel #29 - Trasher is stepping into football

And the NFL is coming to Italy... maybe

Italy has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row. The last time the Azzurri played in the tournament was in 2014. Have you ever heard of Ice Bucket Challenge? Such a scenario would have seemed unthinkable ten years ago for a nation that lives and breathes football — a sport that has always defined Italy, for better or worse, and has the power to both divide and unite the country. Perhaps it is time to rethink football and look at it differently, freeing it, at least in part, from political dynamics.

For now, all we can do is look back at these amazing pictures of Roberto Baggio and the rest of the Azzurri team, taken between 1992 and 1994. They will be our last memory of the Italian national team in the USA for a long time.

The biggest news during the last international break was that Trasher teamed up with adidas for a special collaboration dedicated to the Argentine Football Association. We now know all the 48 teams that will participate in the 2026 World Cup. Here are all the kit suppliers involved, as well as the best fonts that we will see next summer. Some great jerseys will be missing, but you won’t want to miss this unbelievable Lego advert for the World Cup featuring Mbappé, Messi, Ronaldo and Vinícius Jr. Also, take a look at Stone Island’s new campaign featuring Charlie Hunnam, star of the iconic film Hooligans.

Last Saturday we took part in “Corro al Bar” by Crodino for Pizza Run Club. After a 6 km morning run through the streets of Milan, Crodino brought the runners to Da Orient, in the heart of Chinatown, for a soft clubbing session with DJ sets, pizza, and the most iconic blond non-alcoholic drink, served over ice with a slice of orange. This is how it went down.

This week, the NFL granted marketing rights for two franchises in Italy: the Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints. This means that we may be able to watch an NFL game in Italy sooner than we think.

Denis Dekovic is the man who transformed Pirelli’s F1 podium caps from simple hats into works of art. The days of fur hats and sombreros are long gone.

The decision of the International Olympic Committee to exclude transgender women and many athletes with DSD from female competitions starting from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics marks a watershed moment in how global sport addresses the issue of gender identity. Our colleagues at nss g-club investigated this issue to provide a broader perspective.

In 2005 Dirk Bikkembergs acquired Fossombrone inspiring a fashion revolution in football. Now they’re back. See you next week.