Sports
Arsenal's Africa-inspired away kit tells the story of their unique connection to Black culture
Arsenal’s new away kit is designed by an immigrant.
Foday Dumbuya, the founder and creative director of London-based menswear brand Labrum, wants you to know that.
Forget the demeaning connotations foisted upon people who have put down fresh roots in a country they weren’t born in by those who seek to divide — Dumbuya’s heritage is a point of pride, so much so that Labrum has used “designed by an immigrant” as a slogan on numerous products.
In collaboration with Arsenal’s usual kit supplier Adidas, Labrum has dressed manager Mikel Arteta’s side for away games next season, creating a kit that pays homage, directly, deliberately and unashamedly, to the club’s players and fans shaped by the African diaspora.
Predominantly black with red and green details to mimic the Pan-African flag, Arsenal’s away kit also boasts panels with a black-and-white zigzag design, intended to represent the flow of people who emigrated from African nations in the 1920s and the art that came with them.
This is not a football kit that only Black people can wear but it is designed to tell a story, and this project, which shines a light on Arsenal’s connection to Black culture, wouldn’t have been the same if it involved another Premier League club.
Arsenal’s 2024-25 away kit and its accompanying collection (Daniel Barnes/The Athletic)
Fashion brands collaborating with recognised manufacturers to make kits is nothing new.
Juventus’ fourth strip in 2019-20 was co-produced by Palace, Daily Paper lent its style to Ajax’s 2022-23 third shirt, the Jamaica national team’s kits in 2023 were made in collaboration with Wales Bonner and last season, AC Milan released two strips designed in partnership with LA-based label Pleasures.
So what makes Labrum’s association with Arsenal stand out? For starters, this is the strip Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and company will likely wear at Old Trafford and Anfield in 2024-25.
This is no throwaway side collection to be quietly buried among a season’s worth of releases. As Arsenal’s primary away kit, it will be seen — and is designed to start a conversation about the club’s Black influences.
“With Arsenal, they have a huge African fanbase,” says Dumbuya, who was born in Sierra Leone and moved to London aged 12. “From when (Nwankwo) Kanu, (Emmanuel) Eboue, Kolo Toure and all those guys used to play for Arsenal; I think African fans gravitate to that because they can see themselves in those players.
“The next thing will be, ‘How we follow through with this?’. Can we connect conversations and can we influence a community of people to understand Africa as a whole, understand being Black in London, Pan-Africanism, and also the work that Arsenal has been doing for a while now?
Arsenal’s new away kit (Daniel Barnes/The Athletic)
“Sometimes, you educate yourself by seeing something and you don’t have a clue about what it means, but now you’re prompted to go and investigate it. People talk about Pan-Africanism. Now it’s in your face.”
Labrum’s name is a Latin term that loosely translates as ‘having an edge’.
Its clothes are inspired by west Africa and in 2023, Labrum won The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, which Dumbuya received from King Charles.
Last year, ex-Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright walked the runway for Labrum at London Fashion Week. Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah has modelled for the brand. It has also designed clothes for Saka, Arsenal team-mate Reiss Nelson and former England international Rio Ferdinand.
When Netflix sponsored Hackney Wick FC — of Eastern Counties First Division South, tier nine of the English football pyramid — Dumbuya designed their kits. Labrum also outfitted the Sierra Leone team at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago and, in partnership with Adidas, will do so again at this summer’s Games in Paris.
Ian Wright and England rugby union star Maro Itoje have modelled for Labrum at London Fashion Week (Getty Images)
Yet designing an African-inspired Arsenal kit feels like a landmark moment for Dumbuya, who founded Labrum in 2014 and expects to see his designs worn in a game for the first time when Arteta’s side face fellow Premier League club Bournemouth in a friendly in Los Angeles on Wednesday (the early hours of Thursday UK time) to begin a three-match U.S. pre-season tour.
“I don’t know if another club would have done this, how it would transcend to those African fans, because they might not have a huge African fanbase,” says Dumbuya.
“Talking to Arsenal and Adidas, they’ve both always pioneered Black culture, Black history — from hip hop to other cultural stuff — that’s why we thought it’s a relationship and collaboration that was bound to happen.
“They chose wisely to find a brand; not just because we’re big and noisy, but more how authentic we are and that we tell stories about where we’re from, about London, and about west Africa. When things feel natural, people gravitate to it.”
How does one define the particular nuances of Arsenal’s connection to Black culture?
Lots of clubs have Black fans, of course, but Arsenal’s unique relationship is distinct, the outcome of a swathe of geological, societal and cultural factors, including the different Black heroes numerous generations of fans have seen play at the club’s former home Highbury or the Emirates Stadium.
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“I’m not an Arsenal fan per se, but I’m certainly one in the sense that I’m a Londoner and to be involved in Black identity and Black people, you have some affiliation with Arsenal at some level, be it in the playground, in the cultural spaces like the churches and the barber shop,” says Clive Chijioke Nwonka, associate professor of film, culture and society at University College London and co-editor of Black Arsenal, an upcoming book that explores the club’s place in Black British culture.
Arsenal’s players departed for their U.S. tour earlier this week wearing items from the Adidas-Labrum collection (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“This is a shirt that attempts to celebrate what has been largely recognised, which is a movement towards Arsenal by people of the Black diaspora over a number of years — not just recently — and it’s only natural that brands and manufacturers move to that kind of space, and make it something that can be tangible and can be packaged for mass consumption.
“I think when we are talking about and describing Black culture, and Black culture production, we must also just be cognisant that what is really important is Black people and Black people’s experiences of that, which often sometimes is lost when we begin talking about brand culture.
“That being said, I am relieved that the final design was done using a Black designer, because that hasn’t always been the case.”
Authenticity matters and Arsenal, Adidas and Labrum all have a responsibility to ensure their partnership resonates.
That can be particularly difficult when a nod to culture is communicated through a piece of sportswear, a tangible item that people will purchase and wear.
The African diaspora is defined as the movement of people outside the continent and, subsequently, the people living around the world who can trace their roots back to Africa, whether that movement happened willingly or by force.
Expect to see this Arsenal away shirt. A lot. It’s bound to be popular and in 2024, football kits have evolved into desirable fashion items.
Labrum founder creative director Foday Dumbuya (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
It will also carry a particular weight and provide a knowing nod to Black culture, no matter who wears it and where they come from.
“I think this is something that we would struggle to conceive of and even accept if another club had done something similar but that’s also why it needs a particular form of ethics around it, and curation and description, because it can’t just be ‘business as usual — here is another brand product’,” says Nwonka.
“I welcome the shirt and I celebrate the shirt because I know that is something that’s only possible through the optics and lens of Arsenal, and no one else.
“I think the best way that I can describe this in a broad way is that the Black Africa shirt attempts to capture and materialise what is already in existence or has already been expressed. They’re not creating Black Africa. The Arsenal connection already exists. Here is something that is now able to be distributed and shared.
“Of course, there’s an economic dimension there — but that’s neither here nor there, because everything we do in terms of being fans is a transaction in many ways — but it’s capturing and packaging and kind of materialising what is already present, already expressed, already felt by people.”
“I want people always to remember the first club that actually celebrated their fanbase outside of their territory and also included everything about that particular territory, which is Africa as a whole,” says Labrum creator Dumbuya, who is an Arsenal fan.
“It hasn’t been done before. The players that came from abroad have actually changed this league and have added so much depth and culture, so when people sort of remember the kit, I’m hoping that’s what they remember — that it was a celebration of those past players and the Arsenal African fanbase.”
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(Top photos: Adidas/Labrum)
Sports
Bryce Harper hits for cycle, Kyle Schwarber blasts three homers in Phillies blowout win over Mets
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The Phillies’ turnaround following the dismissal of manager Rob Thomson reached a new milestone when two of the franchise’s biggest stars delivered a historic performance.
Kyle Schwarber launched three home runs, including two in the third inning, while Bryce Harper completed the cycle to add yet another achievement to his accomplished career.
The offensive explosion powered Philadelphia to a 15-3 rout of the New York Mets on Saturday, as the Phillies continued their surge and received a signature performance from two of the game’s most recognizable stars.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates his home run with Bryce Harper during the third inning against the New York Mets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Chris Szagola/AP)
Schwarber’s first home run traveled 456 feet, while his second blast of the third inning measured 457 feet off Mets reliever Cionel Pérez.
He capped his night with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Schwarber’s major league-leading home run total climbed to 28, and the performance marked the fifth three-homer game of his career.
Cristopher Sanchez allowed one earned run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.80.
It’s his 23rd straight start at Citizens Bank Park in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer, the second-most such starts by a pitcher at the same ballpark in MLB history since 1913, trailing only Jacob deGrom’s 24 at Citi Field for the Mets from Sept. 9, 2019 to Aug. 31, 2022.
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Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies leave the field after defeating the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Schwarber is the 67th player in major league history and second this season with multiple home runs in an inning, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez on June 12.
Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit two home runs in an inning, along with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Harper hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 16th of the year. He doubled and singled in the third, then hit a two-run triple to the gap in left-center field in the fifth for his first career cycle and the 11th in Phillies history.
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The Phillies and Mets will wrap up their three-game series Sunday night, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is well into the second run of group play, with every team still eager to post wins and most looking to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Here’s everything you need to know about matches being played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in the 48-team tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific). Tuesday’s matches will conclude the first two games of group play for every team at the World Cup.
Sunday’s Group G matchups:
Belgium vs. Iran
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, right, is challenged by Egypt’s Ramy Rabia during a World Cup Group G match on June 15.
(Alex Grimm / Getty Images)
Where: SoFi Stadium
Time: noon
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Iran twice rallied from deficits to draw with New Zealand in its first game, while Belgium, outplayed by Egypt in its opener, was lucky to escape with a point on an own goal early in the second half. Belgium’s aging golden generation of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel is going to need to do much better if they hope to avoid another early World Cup exit.
New Zealand vs. Egypt
New Zealand’s Callan Elliot, left, and Iran’s Mehdi Ghayedi battle for the ball during a World Cup Group G match on June 15.
(Andre Penner / Associated Press)
Where: BC Place, Vancouver
Time: 6 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: One of these teams could make history since neither has ever won a World Cup game. New Zealand earned its first point in the World Cup since 2010 with a draw against Iran. The winner likely advances to the next round.
Sunday’s Group H matchups:
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, top, challenges for the ball during a draw with Cape Verde on June 15.
(Mattia Ozbot / Getty Images)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Time: 9 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Both teams opened the World Cup with surprising results. Second-ranked Spain was unable to score in a draw with No. 67 Cape Verde. Saudi Arabia was 10 minutes away from upsetting Uruguay, only to settle for a tie. Spain desperately needs a win to get its World Cup back on track, while another good performance from Saudi Arabia — unbeaten in its last three games — would have the Arabian Falcons in position to reach the knockout stage.
Uruguay vs. Cape Verde
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha holds the nation’s flag after a draw with Spain on June 15.
(Buda Mendes / Getty Images)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Time: 3 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: With all four teams playing to draws in their openers, the group is wide open. That creates a rare opportunity for tournament debutant Cape Verde, the second-smallest country to qualify for a World Cup. Vozinha, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, made seven saves to shut out Spain. If he can frustrate Uruguay the same way, Cape Verde could be through to the round of 32.
Monday’s Group J matchups:
Argentina vs. Austria
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after scoring his third goal against Algeria at the World Cup on June 16.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Time: 10 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Argentina opened its World Cup title defense with a 3-0 win over Algeria on a hat trick from Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain, playing in his record sixth World Cup, is tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most career World Cup goals (16). Austria, meanwhile, would all but assure itself of a spot in the knockout round with a point.
Jordan vs. Algeria
Algeria’s Zineddine Belaïd kicks the ball during a World Cup loss to Argentina on June 16.
(Michael Steele / Getty Images)
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Little was expected of Jordan, making its first appearance in the World Cup. And it delivered little in a 3-1 loss to Austria. But Algeria, ranked 28th in the world, entered the tournament with high hopes and one of African soccer’s most potent attacks. However, it had only one shot on goal in its loss to Argentina and needs a big rebound to avoid an early trip home.
Monday’s Group I matches:
France vs. Iraq
France’s Kylian Mbappé celebrates after scoring against Senegal on June 16.
(Adam Hunger / Ap Photo/adam Hunger)
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Kylian Mbappé proved his fitness with a brace in France’s opening win over Senegal, giving him 14 World Cup goals, tied for fourth on the all-time list. He has a great chance to pad that total against an Iraq team that gave up four goals to Norway. Iraq still is looking for its first-ever World Cup point.
Norway vs. Senegal
Norway’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Iraq on June 16.
(Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Time: 5 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Norway, playing in its first World Cup this century, made up for lost time with a 4-1 win in its opener, getting two goals from Erling Haaland. Norway probably will move on to the next round no matter what happens, but a point would lock down a spot. Senegal and Sadio Mané, on the other hand, desperately need a win.
Tuesday’s Group K matchups:
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo walks on the field during a match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17.
(Molly Darlington / Getty Images)
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
Time: 10 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Cristiano Ronaldo entered this World Cup with visions of winning his first title. But he’ll go home early and empty-handed unless fifth-ranked Portugal improves on the listless performance it had in a draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss. Expect it to bunker in again against Portugal.
Colombia vs. DR Congo
Yoane Wissa, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring for the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Portugal on June 17.
(Karen Warren / Associated Press)
Where: Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s only other World Cup appearance came in 1974, when the country was known as Zaire; it lost all three games and didn’t score a goal. It’s already done better with Yoane Wissa’s score in first-half stoppage time giving the team a point against Portugal. A win here and it’s through to the knockout phase. The same is true of Colombia, which got a 65th-minute goal from Luis Díaz and another from substitute Jáminton Campaz deep in stoppage time to beat stubborn Uzbekistan.
Tuesday’s Group L matchups:
England vs. Ghana
England’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring against Croatia on June 17.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: England opened its World Cup with a surprisingly comfortable win over Croatia behind two goals from captain Harry Kane. But the Three Lions are only equal atop the table with Ghana, which got a goal deep in stoppage time from Caleb Yirenkyi to beat Panama. If there’s a winner here, it probably will decide the group. A point likely sends both teams through.
Panama vs. Croatia
Where: BMO Stadium, Toronto
Time: 4 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
Panama’s Ismael Díaz attempts a shot against Ghana on June 17.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
The buzz: Croatia has played in two straight World Cup semifinals, but that streak is in jeopardy after a 4-2 loss to England. Panama outshot, outpassed and outpossessed Ghana in its first game but came away with nothing after conceding a goal in stoppage time, leaving the Central Americans still looking for their first World Cup win.
Sports
Jazz Chisholm explains why he still won’t wear a cup after fouling a pitch into his own groin
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Men around the country are still wincing from the sight of New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. fouling a pitch straight into his own groin.
It was bad enough that Chisholm had to leave the game, and it left many wondering why he wasn’t wearing a cup to protect himself.
Well, now we have an answer.
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New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. took a brutal shot to the groin on Thursday night. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
Yankees beat writer Gary Philips shared some quotes from Chisholm explaining why he wasn’t a cup guy before taking a foul ball to the cojones, and why he isn’t going to be a cup guy moving forward.
WEEKS AFTER BULLFIGHTER SUFFERED PERFORATED RECTUM, ANOTHER WAS GORED IN GROIN AND REQUIRED EMERGENCY SURGERY
Chisholm said that the pain level was a “million,” and that, “If you ever got hit in the testicles, you would know.”
Most males reading this just nodded at that statement.
But Chisholm revealed that despite cups being mandatory in the minor leagues, he still skipped them and will continue to because he trusts his own defensive abilities.
“I’ve never worn a cup,” he said. “I’ve never been hit in the balls. That was just unlucky.”
Now, there are times when I wonder why men don’t wear cups all the time just for some peace of mind (I feel that way about helmets too). You wouldn’t regret not wearing a cup until the moment you’re at a cookout and a rogue volleyball puts you in shambles.
But I also like that Chisholm trusts himself to react and protect the boys. I’ve always said that a fairly significant part of a man’s life is devoted to protecting his lower anatomy.
You’re ever vigilant, trying to steer clear of anything that could leave you doubled over on the ground, and spouting off every expletive you know and several others you didn’t realize you knew.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. says he’ll rely on his defensive abilities instead of wearing a cup moving forward. (David Richard-Imagn Images)
Waist-high branches, table corners, projectiles, bicycle seats, even a pet jumping in your lap when you’re not ready.
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Chisholm is self-aware enough to know where his self-preservation reflexes stand, and I respect that.
But if he takes another foul ball to the lower area of his body, he might want to start rethinking that stance on cups.
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