Team Messi hits the pitch.

Okay, you’re the latest member to join Team Messi… Your face appears on the news, displayed on skyscrapers and you even get a mural painted by someone without your permission. You’re just a step away from being a meme sensation. You’ve become part of a movement, one which plays the Messi Way. So when you’re on field, how do you beat a player without the help of Xavi or Iniesta?

Stepping their game up a level with their talisman Leo Messi and his first signature adizero f50 boot, adidas have now created an innovative 3D digital video that uses your Facebook details creating a personalised experience. The music is fresh, the technology is clever, and you get a glimpse of what it’s like to be in the shoes of the boy from Rosario.

Getting nostalgic and embracing the present: Best of football boots

The original Vapors. The Puma King. The adi Preds. All bring back memories of fitter days and more spritely spirits. As our friend Bryan Byrne points out, “over the years, there have seen hundreds of different releases that cater to different player types, some featuring technology and others relying on comfort and basic performance.” He decided to compile a list of the top 25 boots in football history. The only things missing are my old Kelmes, so I want to open this up: what are the best boots you’ve ever owned?

AFR x adidas x You. Designing Lionel Messi.

Leo Messi needs you (or your more artistic friend) to design his next pair of adidas football boots, which he’ll wear during a match in December. WAIT. Read that last sentence again to make sure we’re on the same page. You can create a unique pair of adidas adizero f50s (just like ours, above) for Messi by visiting the new “miadidas configurator” here and submitting a design with various colour schemes and personal touches.

But you don’t really want to hear us go on and on about this, do you? Alright, we’ll turn this over to our favourite #10. Messi said: “In football, you express yourself with your feet, which is why I like to feel like I have a connection to my adizero f50s. Knowing that your boots are unique makes you feel special and makes you play with more confidence. I’m excited to see the designs that my fans create for me on the miadidas configurator and I look forward to playing in them.” 

Want more info? Head to facebook.com/adidasfootball or @adidasfootball (use the #miadidas hashtag to join the conversation), or even ask us @afootballreport. These boots make their debut this weekend, and the likes of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and AC Milan’s Riccardo Montolivo will be hitting the pitch with their own customised boots. [posted by Dominic and Eric]

A slow-motion slow clap for the fans of Euro 2012

These past few weeks have given us plenty of reasons to argue with our friends or that guy that’s 20 years older than everyone else at your pub that EURO 2012 could be the best tournament around. But here we are with one game left. Everyone backed the Spanish. No one really gave Italy a chance. The hosts have had a fair bit of controversy, but the non-racist fans cheered on their teams admirably. This particular video found at Adidas’ new Tumblr focuses on the fans who watched the Germany-Greece quarterfinal, capturing the emotions in the best way: super slow-motion.

A history of perfectionism meeting innovation: uncovering the new adidas Predator Lethal Zones

AFR, alongside a selection of top bloggers, participated in the exclusive launch of the boots on the 1st of May in Manchester. Dominic Vieira enjoyed the privilege testing the Predator Lethal Zones displaying Portuguese flair which certainly impressed the beloved Kickette, alongside meeting the brains behind the project and watching Nani, Cleverley and Dzeko #unleash their skills. Perhaps the most interesting part of the event was speaking with Aubrey Dolan, adidas’s tireless designer in charge of the entire Lethal Zones project.

They fit like a glove. I could dribble like Nani, I curled Xavi-esque passes like my midfield idol and fired sweet shots with Van Persie ferocity. After taking my first strike, I knew my feet were blessed with a special pair of boots and it was matter of seconds before I blasted another ball. Unfortunately, Alex Ferguson was not present to find that missing midfield sensation he’s desperately looking to sign.

I was wearing Predators once again; it had been a while and they were no longer crowned with that trademark red tongue. Adidas’s innovation was on show once more, as they designed a shoe containing five distinctive ‘Lethal Zones’ which deliver the ultimate control, touch, accuracy, power and skill. 

Their bright blue and infra-red colour captured my eye the moment I unzipped the bag, the new face of Predator will become an iconic pair. The transition in colour, which developed from last year’s AdiPower, demonstrates innovation and responsiveness to the modern football culture. Once more the Predators, which have become a strong reference in football since their inception in 1994, had evolved.

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all ol, all innovation

Olympique Lyon and German sports manufacturer Adidas have released the world’s first 3D football kit. The black shirt will be the club’s third kit next season, paying tribute to the Lumiere brothers, pioneering film makers originating from to the 1890’s who are from the city. Although the concept is impressive, only Lyon fans can appreciate the innovation as they must wear the 3D glasses which come with the kit. Converting a football stadium into a cinema is overly ambitious for anyone, nice try Adidas. [posted by DV]

A selling sign: Ronaldinho and Kaka moving in January?

Did Becks convince Ronnie to come to Hollywood?

A Football Report has learned, through our friend Matthew Wall over at SoccerProse, that Ronaldinho and Kaka will be leaving their respective clubs in the January transfer window. Matthew works for one of America’s leading soccer stores, SoccerPro, and he has learned that no new orders for Kaka or Ronaldinho name sets for the backs of soccer jerseys are being sold to suppliers in anticipation of these moves.

The obvious rumours that have been swirling around for quite some time are that Kaka will return to Serie A once again and Ronaldinho will join up with the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan at the Los Angeles Galaxy. Kaka has been pursued by both Milan teams, however, the Brazilian has made it clear that he would prefer to play for the Rossoneri once again rather than the Nerazzuri.

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Spain’s Elite Try Their Best To Sell Football Kits. They also put on a show at Stade de France

While I have to say that the Adidas’ new away kit for Spain looks quite fresh, it turns out that:

1) There are people in Spain who don’t know who Xabi Alonso and David Villa are

and

2) The economy in Spain is so bad that some of the best players in the world cannot even sell the shirt that they’ll be wearing. Times are tough people, times are tough.

Nevertheless, the shirt is class. If I find myself with a little extra in the bank due to some World Cup Betting, then you’ll probably see me with a long-sleeve Iniesta jersey. By the way, if you didn’t see how Spain embarrassed France at the Stade de France last night courtesy of swag-filled strikes from David Villa and Sergio Ramos, the highlights of the World Cup favourites (in their new navy kits) are embedded after the jump.

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