Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates walked in wearing matching PUMA travel gear and the Salehe Bembury x PUMA Akita Velum NITRO in the "Toasted Almond" colorway. The casual model retails for $160 in adult sizes and launched earlier this month.
The pre-match footwear choice stood out given Ronaldo's lifetime Nike deal dating to November 2016, following a Nike partnership that began in 2003. When kickoff arrived, he wore Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 Elite boots in pink and black with Portugal's PUMA match kit.
Designer Salehe Bembury shared photos on Instagram of Ronaldo in the sneakers. The moment is not an official Ronaldo endorsement, and he remains a Nike athlete, but it marked a visible win for PUMA ahead of Portugal's FIFA World Cup opener.
