Guest Blog Written By Brandon Evans of Soccer Post Huntingdon Valley

Nike's Total 90 sub-brand officially launched in 2004 and has since produced some of the most iconic jerseys, match balls, cleats, and general footwear the company has ever created. The T90 line is best known for its collection of jerseys, most prominently worn by the Portuguese and Brazilian national teams at Euro 2004, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup. 

A famous yet comical Nike commercial for the T90 brand even featured players from both these teams facing off against each other. Many legends of the time donned the T90, such as Ronaldo Nazário, Adriano, Luis Figo, and even a young Cristiano Ronaldo. But the player most associated with T90 has to be Ronaldinho, who lit up the stage for Brazil while wearing the iconic yellow and green Brazil T90 jersey.

Origins

The T90 sub-brand itself actually started as a response to adidas, which saw success with its recent releases, including the Predator and F50 lines. Aside from soccer, this was also the era where sporting brands were trying to revolutionize their identities and transcend the confines of simple sporting attire, often using famous athletes to back their campaign. The most prominent example of this was, of course, Michael Jordan’s signature Air Jordan shoes. 

By 2004, Nike’s soccer department had their answer in the form of the T90. The campaign’s full name, “Total 90,” spoke to the player’s need to be ready for the full 90 minutes. But the T90 wasn’t exclusively tied to soccer cleats. There was a plethora of other products, such as the indoor and turf shoes, which often served as both soccer shoes and casual shoes. This was crucial because the T90 indoor shoes also appealed to customers who weren’t soccer players but were looking for stylish shoes to wear day-to-day.

Additionally, several big-name leagues, most notably the Premier League, adopted the T90 match balls as their official ball. With the jerseys, balls, and cleats, T90’s foothold in the cultural landscape was established. Part of what made these products unique was their heavy emphasis on both style and efficiency. The defining feature of any T90 product was the iconic logo of the number 90 surrounded by a circle. You can find it on the inside of the cleats, the central stripe of a match ball, or right on the torso of a jersey. Nike knew they had a special product, but they needed a special person to market it as well. 

Ronaldinho

Brazilian forward Ronaldinho became the face of Nike’s T90 campaign, which happened to line up with the peak of Ronaldinho’s career. The then-24-year-old was already a world-class player by 2004, having spent time at Brazilian side Grêmio and French outfit Paris St. Germain, before reaching the pinnacle with FC Barcelona. 

He amassed a collection of silverware, none more important than the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, but Ronaldinho produced some of the best performances in soccer history during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons, earning the 2005 Balon d’Or along the way. In these two seasons, Ronaldinho led Barcelona to successive La Liga titles and a Champions League triumph in 2005/06. Even more memorable, however, was simply how fun he was to watch. His step-overs, under-the-wall free kicks, iconic headband, samba celebrations, and just general flair live long in the memory of fans around the world. 

Confederations Cup

Despite his club success, Ronaldinho’s eternal connection to the T90 brand was secured during the 2005 Confederations Cup, hosted in Germany, as a precursor to the 2006 World Cup. Ronaldinho captained his Brazil side with Kaká, Adriano, Lúcio, Maicon, Juninho, and many others, and proved himself to be the star of the show. Though Brazil faltered slightly in the group stage, they gathered their bearings and progressed to the knockout rounds on goal difference.

In the semifinals, Ronaldinho played a key role in both Brazil’s 3-2 win over hosts, Germany, and their famous and emphatic 4-1 win over rivals, Argentina, in the Final. Ronaldinho scored in both fixtures and was named Man of the Match of the Final for his phenomenal performance. These games live on in football lore as highlights on YouTube, with clips of Ronaldinho, in his T90 Brazil jersey, gliding past some poor Argentine defender in perpetuity. 

Modern Day

Fast forward 20 years to 2025, and the T90 is back, thanks to a cultural shift in the football world that heavily values nostalgia from the early 2000s era. Nike capitalized on this enthusiasm by relaunching their T90 line, headlined by reissued jerseys and footwear, along with a host of new products inspired by that era.

Shop the full collection at Soccer Post, including T90 firm ground cleats, indoor shoes, and balls. That iconic T90 Brazil jersey from the 2004/05 season with Ronaldinho’s name etched across the back is joined by that of Landon Donovan, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Park Ji-sung. Additionally, many of Nike’s most prominent clubs will wear bespoke 3rd jerseys in the T90 style, including PSG, Chelsea, and, of course, FC Barcelona. 

For those who watched Ronaldinho light up the world stage and fell in love with the Total brand as a result, you can relive that era in-store at your local Soccer Post or online at SoccerPost.com.