adidas Copa Mundial 'World's Most Iconic Boot' Faces Radical Redesign After CEO Reveal
By Ben McKimm - News
Published: 21 May 2025
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adidas Copa Mundial is the world's best-selling and most iconic football boot
Production of kangaroo leather has ended, transforming the Copa Mundial forever
CEO Bjørn Gulden confirmed the discontinuation at adidas' Annual General Meeting
adidas joins Nike, Puma, and others in banning kangaroo leather use
Likely the final chance to buy the Copa Mundial in its original form
Worn by Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona, the adidas Copa Mundial is the most iconic football boot ever created and is the best-selling model of all time. While boot technology has progressed and they're not a performance-focused choice for players anymore, they're just as desirable as they were when launched in 1982, thanks to their retro design and premium kangaroo leather construction.
That's about to change as adidas has quietly ceased the production of Kangaroo leather products, and this will take the Copa Mundial with it, at least in its purest and most original form.
adidas ceased production of the boot months ago, but CEO Bjørn Gulden only recently announced the news at the company's Annual General Meeting in Fürth, Germany. While no public statement was made, the news was confirmed in a press release from the Center for a Humane Economy, which has lobbied sneaker brands around the world to cease the production of kangaroo leather products for some time.
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
Decision to Cease Kangaroo Leather Production
adidas is not an outlier in this decision, they're the latest brand to join the list of kangaroo-free sneaker makers, which currently includes ASICS, Diadora, Puma, Nike, and New Balance.
'The mass killing of kangaroos has been driven by exports mainly for kangaroo skins,' said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. 'With adidas exiting the trade, we have shut down sourcing of skins by the world's top five athletic shoe brands. We now will redouble our efforts to secure similar pledges from Japanese companies ASICS and Mizuno and end this trade once and for all.'
'Adidas has been the most important supporter of the Australian kangaroo kill for years,' continues Pacelle. 'Its exit from this trade is thrilling news.'
Kangaroo Commercial Harvesting in Australia
It's hard to pinpoint the number of kangaroos in Australia because of the vast areas they roam, but trained observers regularly conduct ground and aerial surveys in states where 'commercial harvesting' takes place (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania).
From these surveys, the kangaroo population is estimated to be around 32 million. Quotas are then set for the harvesting of the population, which was set at 4.8 million two years ago, but eventuated in the harvesting of 1.2 million, or about 3.7 per cent of the national population.
Scientific research from the Ecological Society of Australia says some species of kangaroos have become so plentiful that they threaten the biodiversity of the land due to a lack of predators and grazing impacts. However, others don't share this view.
'The brutal commercial slaughter of kangaroos has operated in the shadows for too long,' said Emma Hurst, Member of Parliament, Animal Justice Party, Australia. 'Adidas joining its competitors in ending the use of kangaroo leather is not only a win for animals—it's a win for transparency, ethics, and global consumer expectations. Australians and animal lovers worldwide owe a great deal to the relentless work of the Center for a Humane Economy and the global coalition that made this possible.'
Diego Maradona wearing adidas Copa Mundial untied during a training session in Boston with Renato Cesarini's youth team during the 1994 World Cup in the United States | Image: Supplied
Where That Leaves the adidas Copa Mundial
Made in Scheinfeld, Germany, the adidas Copa Mundial (1979) stands next to The Puma King (1966) as the most iconic football boot of all time.
'Copa Mundial' in Spanish translates to 'World Cup' in English, and the football boot was first introduced to the world ahead of the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Throughout history, it's been worn by the likes of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. However, Diego Maradona is the one who made them famous, wearing them untied during a training session in Boston with Renato Cesarini's youth team during the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Design-wise, the boot has gone through several changes over the years, including changes to the letter colours on the side of the shoe and refinements to the tongue and heel collar, but its most important features have remained true to the 1982 original. The 12 moulded studs, the die-cut EVA midsole that distributes stud pressure, and the soft kangaroo leather upper with reinforced heel panel have all stayed true through the shoe's nearly 50-year history.
While it's unlikely the shoe will move away from using a leather upper, this is the last chance you have to buy the adidas Copa Mundial with its iconic kangaroo leather upper, as the brand has ceased production of kangaroo leather products.
Priced at AUD$280 the Copa Mundial is available at adidas.com.au, linked below.
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
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The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives paid dividends for the Brumbies. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. 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"If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm. Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an impassioned defence of Tom Stewart as the star utility faces AFL scrutiny over the bump that landed Gold Coast's Noah Anderson in hospital. Stewart crunched Anderson in a heavy collision during the fourth quarter of the Cats' dour 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) victory at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium on Saturday. Play was held up while Anderson was assessed by medical staff, before he jogged slowly off the ground. He was eventually taken to the Suns' change-room. The Gold Coast captain was cleared of concussion after his head hit the ground following the body contact from Stewart, but was later taken to hospital for scans on his chest region. Scott insisted Stewart showed the appropriate duty of care to Anderson and was adamant there would have to be a fundamental shift in rules for the five-time All-Australian to face sanction over the bump. "If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm. Geelong coach Chris Scott has launched an impassioned defence of Tom Stewart as the star utility faces AFL scrutiny over the bump that landed Gold Coast's Noah Anderson in hospital. Stewart crunched Anderson in a heavy collision during the fourth quarter of the Cats' dour 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) victory at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium on Saturday. Play was held up while Anderson was assessed by medical staff, before he jogged slowly off the ground. He was eventually taken to the Suns' change-room. The Gold Coast captain was cleared of concussion after his head hit the ground following the body contact from Stewart, but was later taken to hospital for scans on his chest region. Scott insisted Stewart showed the appropriate duty of care to Anderson and was adamant there would have to be a fundamental shift in rules for the five-time All-Australian to face sanction over the bump. "If it's a protective action where contact's unavoidable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can," Scott said after the match. "I sort of feel for Noah. Everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body. "Stewy, I thought his duty of care to Noah was as good as it could have been, and he was good enough to hit him in the body." Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick didn't feel there was anything untoward in the bump from Stewart, who was given a four-match ban in 2022 for a nasty hit on Richmond's Dion Prestia. "The game's combative, accidents happen on the footy field. It's one of those things," Hardwick said of Saturday's incident. "We'd love Noah to keep playing (but it's) within the rules, still allowed to bump. "It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit. He's a big boy, Tom Stewart. "But once again, we'll make it very clear, it was chest. It wasn't head or anything like that - no concussion. "From our point of view he'll just go there (hospital) and see what that comes back at." Hardwick was more concerned with his team failing what he had termed a "litmus test" before the match, and ceding their top-four spot to Geelong in the process. The Cats never trailed and pulled clear after halftime to improve their record to 9-4 with a fourth straight win, while Gold Coast slipped to 8-4 with a second successive defeat. It was also the Suns' ninth loss in as many visits to Geelong's Kardinia Park base - eight of those against the Cats - since their AFL inception in 2011. Tyson Stengle (four goals) and Max Holmes (40 disposals, 10 clearances) starred for Geelong, while Tom Atkins (23, eight) and Mark O'Connor (21, seven) were also important. AFL great Gary Ablett Jr was among the 29,502 fans on hand to watch his two former clubs do battle, and witnessed a scrappy, stoppage-heavy encounter in wet conditions. Hardwick felt Geelong were better around the contest, conceding they were "too good, too clean and too strong" for the Suns. "We've got some work to do and I was really pissed off, to be perfectly honest," he said. "We knew the game that we needed to have, and we unfortunately failed the test." Geelong lost Shannon Neale to an ankle injury before halftime, and Gold Coast's Jed Walter could face scrutiny for late and high contact on O'Connor with a swinging arm.
