Having scored the fastest goals ever at a European Championship in their emphatic 2-1 loss to Italy, Albania impressed once again by earning a dramatic draw against Croatia in their second Euro 2024 group stage exit. .
One player in particular stood out: Jasir Asani not only delivered a perfect cross to set up the first goal in the 11th minute, but also for his choice of footwear for the occasion.
The 29-year-old, who plays for the Gwangju football club in South Korea, took to the field wearing a pair of custom Super Mario Bros-themed boots.
On his left foot, Asani had an image of Nintendo's iconic Italian plumber, Mario, leaping into the air after (presumably) stomping on a hapless turtle and collecting a stash of gold coins.
On his right foot (yes, you guessed it) was Luigi, Mario's brother and accomplice in so many video game adventures.
With Super Mario Bros. at his side, Asani played a pivotal role as his country came back from 2-1 down against the semi-finalists of the last two FIFA World Cups to salvage a 2-2 draw in the 95th minute that maintains the Albania's hopes of getting out of Group B alive.
However, the striker is not the only player to arrive at Euro 2024 with feet clad in custom-made boots, as several other stars did the same.
While not the most ostentatious design, Austria's Romano Schmid came off the bench against France with his own initials painted on the heels of his ice-white Adidas boots.
In the same match, it took an eagle's eye to see that French full-back Ferland Mendy was wearing a pair of shoes that marked the date of the 2024 Champions League final, in which Mendy's Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
However, unlike that night of June 1, in which Mendy played the entire final of Madrid's 15th European Cup, he did not take the field against Austria.
When Spain faced Croatia at Berlin's Olympiastadion on Saturday, The RedThe Lamine Yamal teen star made sure not to lose sight of her roots by adding the flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea to her boots in honor of her parents' birthplaces.
Of course, one player who certainly hasn't shelled out for a new pair of unique boots is German stalwart Toni Kroos, famous for wearing the exact same model of white Adidas Adipure boots for the last decade, long after the brand ceased production. them.
Still, they are clearly working for him: the midfielder only missed one of his 102 passes in the host country's opening victory over Scotland, and completed 94.7% of his 124 attempts in Wednesday's 2-0 win against Hungary.
If it is not broke, do not fix it.
