Forget Qatar 2022 – the searing heat at Brazil 2014 might just melt England’s pasty footballers before they even get to the Middle East.
More than half of this year’s World Cup matches are likely to see temperatures topping 25 degrees, with at least 10 of them pushing 30 degrees. Poor old Jack Wilshere is going to burn up.
How will the players cope? Get in the spirit of Copacabana and take to the field in Ronaldo-esque budgie smugglers? No. The answer is to wear more layers.
It sounds mad at first, but the Nike Pro Hypercool 3.0 baselayer is designed to keep players cool under pressure.
Martin Lotti, Nike creative director, explains why more is less. “We’ve reduced the weight of the baselayer by removing fabric in the key body heat zones, like the back and under the arms, as well as adding breathability,” he tells FFT. “The new product is 16 per cent lighter than its predecessor.”
This isn’t the only fancy technology woven into the body-cooling garb. Dual-knit construction moves sweat away from the skin to the outside of the kit, where it can evaporate quicker in hot conditions.
Wilshere won’t have to worry about sweat patches showing up on TV, because the Dri-FIT fabric wicks away perspiration.
And the laser-cut ventilation will increase the airflow over our Jack’s skin when he’s running around in the sun.
“This is the sort of technology that can make that 1-2 per cent difference you need at the top level,” purrs Wilshere. Let’s hope it does.
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