Following the reveal of the Predator ‘Unlocked’ earlier this month, adidas drop their first pack of 2026, called ‘Born for Goals’, and it firmly pits the Predator against the F50.
According to adidas, 2026 is decision time: Predator or F50, take control or cause chaos (bringing back memories of the original ACE and X campaign from 2015). Two ways to change the game, and the Three Stripes are telling you to choose one as part of the new ‘Born for Goals’ pack. Of course, that messaging alone overlooks one key ingredient of said pack, that being the new COPA Pure IV, which quietly slips on to the scene alongside the new Predator for ’26 and the F50.
So starting off with the Predator, and you may be forgiven for thinking, “hey, I’ve seen this before”. Indeed, arriving in a “Lucid Red/Core Black/Ftwr White” colourway, it not only looks very similar to the ‘Unlocked’ edition from last week (basically the same barring some special details), but it also bares a striking resemblance to the ‘Pure Victory’ launch edition of the last Predator, which was revealed this time last year. Colourways aside though, this is the first wide release of the latest incarnation of the Predator, which we saw debut in that iconic Gunmetal Grey look for ‘Finishers Steel’ before Christmas.
Engineered with a lightweight construction from the ground up, the Predator 26 homes in on the demands of the contemporary game. The return of the POWERSPINE brings a lightweight, full-length plate through the sole. Across the upper, adidas introduces NANOSTRIKE+, a reimagined mesh construction blending softness, lightness, and integrated grip elements. It contours naturally to the foot, creating an instinctive connection between control, touch and striking precision. Paired with a PRIMEKNIT collar for adaptive lockdown and breathable mesh with a microfiber lining for comfort through the midfoot, the whole package moves with a fluid, sock-like fit that never loses its edge.
Underfoot, the STRIKEFRAME shifts the Predator forward again, with an updated stud configuration fuelling traction and rotational agility.
By contrast to the controlling nature of the Predator, there’s the chaos of the F50. Engineered to excel at the highest speeds and support the most unpredictable movements with lightweight, high-performing materials, the F50 arrives in a “Team Solar Yellow/Core Black/Lucid Red” colourway. There’s no tech updates from last year, so you’re still getting the Sprintframe 360 soleplate with the thin Fibertouch upper and Compression Fit Tunnel Tongue. But where the F50 stands out is with the fit options, specifically with the women-focused Sparkfusion model.
The F50 Sparkfusion even gets its own “Ftwr White/Iron Met/Hi-Res Yellow” colourway, offering a slight differentiation from the regular F50. It’s a nice touch, almost inverting the colour formation to show that this is a wholly different fit option.
Then to round out the pack, lining up last but by no means least, we have the new COPA Pure IV. As has been the case with previous iterations, it’s more a case of tweaking what’s come before here rather than wholesale changes and alterations. So it’s the same soleplate, but a refined upper. A wider tongue, designed to wrap around the foot to improve the silo’s renowned comfort levels yet further. There’s a slight reworking of the upper, with new contour lines providing better feel on the ball. And it’s all wrapped up in a pack-corresponding and suitably clean looking “Zero Met/Core Black/Lucid Red” colourway.
Shop the adidas Born for Goals pack at prodirectsport.com/soccer
