Lovers of Pelé by Luis Bueno

The first football kit featuring a hijab: Afghanistan Football Federation and Hummel

In addition to creating a gorgeous shirt reflective of a diverse set of artistic styles and national symbols of Afghanistan, Hummel has designed the new women’s kit with an integrated hijab for female footballers.

‘We don’t sponsor the biggest teams in the world, but we make partnerships with teams and clubs with a story to tell, like Afghanistan,’ Hummel owner Christian Stadil said. Hummel’s mission statement is ‘Change the World through Sport’.

‘We try to meet the Afghan people where they are, and right now that is by helping the women play football with or without a hijab’.

Through official bans on women’s sports instituted before the fall of the Taliban, prejudice that has endured long since, and a lack of institutional support from both domestic and global sporting authorities—including the International Football Association Board (IFAB), who outlawed hijabs and religious head coverings until 2012—women’s football in Afghanistan has grown against all odds. 

A Whole New Attitude