Why Puma shirts keep tearing at the 2026 World Cup

Late goals, red cards, long balls, and TV ads during water breaks have defined the 2026 World Cup so far. But a more peculiar trend has emerged: torn shirts. Since the tournament began, four players have had their jerseys ripped, in three cases requiring them to leave the field to change. All four shirts were manufactured by Puma.

Which shirts tore and how?

The incidents occurred across four matches, all involving Puma kits:

• South Korea vs Czech Republic: Midfielder Pavel Sulc's shirt was torn in several places when pulled back by a South Korea defender after 25 minutes.
• USA vs Paraguay: Defender Gustavo Gomez's shirt ripped down the side after grappling with USA striker Folarin Balogun after eight minutes. He continued playing after tucking the torn section into his shorts before changing later.
• Belgium vs Egypt: Winger Mustafa Zico's shirt tore horizontally across the center when pulled down by defender Maxim de Cuyper.
• Scotland vs Morocco: Midfielder Neil el Aynaoui's shirt ripped across the center when held by center-back Jack Hendry while waiting for a corner. El Aynaoui showed the tear to the referee while claiming a penalty.

In all cases, the tears happened when players were being pulled by opponents. Shirts from other manufacturers have reportedly withstood similar incidents without damage.

What is behind the frequent tears?

The Puma shirts are made from a material called Ultraweave, designed to be extremely lightweight and reduce friction. Puma describes it as "the game's fastest football jersey," weighing only 72 grams and made primarily of recycled polyester. The company says the four-way engineered mechanical stretch underwent years of "vigorous wear testing."

In a statement, Puma told BBC Sport: "As football is a high-contact sport, garments can be affected when jerseys are subject to severe force or extreme physical stress. Importantly, these instances do not impact player performance. Player feedback has shown that they prefer lighter materials in their jerseys to achieve a better performance at the highest level. That's why during the development of jerseys, we prioritised lightweight in combination with movement, breathability, and comfort."

The material feels paper-like to the touch. The 'authentic' version of Puma jerseys sold to fans uses the same Ultraweave fabric, while 'replica' versions do not. Online reviews praise the fabric for breathability and comfort but criticize its durability.

Puma also manufactures kits for Austria, Ivory Coast, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Senegal, and Switzerland at the tournament.