Nike went all in with cutting-edge technology for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and created a double-layer jersey. An inner mesh tight against the body to absorb sweat and a looser outer fabric. On paper, it was an engineering marvel. On the pitch, with the Asian heat and humidity, the two layers fused into a single mass of soaked fabric that was impossible to separate.
The peak moment came in the final against Germany. Edmílson tore his jersey and they brought him a new one. What followed was almost a minute of hand-to-hand combat between the defender and the kit, with the jersey stuck on his head in the middle of the field while referee Pierluigi Collina watched in disbelief. Several teammates had to help him get it off. 😅
Brazil lifted the Cup anyway, of course. But the CBF was so traumatized that after the tournament it formally demanded that Nike eliminate that technology forever. Today it is one of the most coveted retro jerseys in the world. Edmílson probably still has nightmares.