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adidas x BAPE, NTS & Beckham; LAFC x Son + September Events
Your Weekly Digest of Soccer, Style, and Culture Across the CONCACAF Region
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Welcome to Edition 53 of The Forty-One Life. adidas is applying pressure with a three-piece push: BAPE on the Predator, NTS repping club culture, and a fresh Beckham colorway for collectors. In LA, Son Heung-min is proving to be the signing that is turning LAFC into a bigger global name. CHARLY just dropped a Heritage collection with four clean looks rooted in Mexico’s history. And we’ve got the September events you need to lock in. Tap in and move smart. Tap in.
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MOVES
Why Signing Son Heung-min Is a Win On and Off the Pitch for LAFC
FREDERIC J. BROWN | Credit: AFP
Signing Son Heung-min is the rare move that hits the culture and the scoreboard at the same time. LAFC already owns deep roots with LA’s Latino fanbase; adding one of Asia’s biggest football icons opens a new lane without losing the club’s core. The impact showed up fast: record transfer buzz, sellout-level ticket demand, and a jersey that shot to No. 1 globally on Fanatics, while the club’s socials spiked across platforms. That’s reach you can measure.
The fit makes even more sense in this city. LA’s Koreatown sits a few miles from BMO Stadium, and Son’s arrival turned match week into a neighborhood event—businesses hopping, artists tapping in, and fans treating his debut like a mini World Cup. For a metro with one of the largest Korean communities outside of Asia, that’s not a moment; it’s a market. It also mirrors the Ohtani effect in baseball: a superstar who lifts a team and energizes an entire community.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
There’s global upside, too. Apple’s MLS Season Pass puts every LAFC game in one place for worldwide viewing, and the league has been stacking more international TV windows around “Sunday Night Soccer.” A star with Son’s pull doesn’t just sell shirts; he drives tune-in from Seoul to Sunset and makes LAFC a destination brand for sponsors who want both U.S. and Asia in one shot.
On the field, he’s already producing and carrying himself like the pro’s pro everyone expected—scoring, assisting, and giving the locker room a standard. That combination of output, humility, and celebrity is the cheat code: it keeps winning central while widening the tent. For a club built on atmosphere and ambition, Son is exactly the kind of signing that grows the game in LA and brings more of the city into the Black & Gold.
STYLE
LAFC included in adidas x NTS Radio collab collection
Credit: LAFC
NTS Radio linked with adidas on a trio of club capsules for Arsenal, Orlando Pirates, and LAFC, blending football identity with city sound. LAFC holds it down as the lone MLS pick, a nod to Los Angeles’ music heritage from G-funk to punk, mariachi, and its modern sounds. The result is kit-adjacent pieces that feel born for the 3252’s terraces and the studio.
BOOTS
adidas and BAPE® drop the hardest Predator of the year so far
adidas and BAPE® are teaming up on a football capsule that hits both pitch and street. The lineup includes Predator Elite FT FG, F50 Elite FG, adidas Originals Samba, plus ABC CAMO jerseys, bags, and more, dropping September 6 in limited quantities on CONFIRMED, adidas.com, BAPE.com, and select stores.
The star of the show is the Predator Elite in BAPE®’s green ABC CAMO with gold stripes, fold-over tongue, and shark graphic. It’s the standout piece in the collection and arguably one of the best Predator colorways adidas has released this year.
MORE BOOTS
adidas just laced David Beckham’s Predator in a bold pink finish, blending old-school icon energy with modern boot tech. Clean lines, premium materials, and subtle Beckham touches make this one a standout.
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KITS
Culture First: CHARLY Reworks Mexican Heritage into Four Clean Kits
Credit: CHARLY
Charly’s 2025 Heritage Collection taps into Mexico’s roots with four football-style jerseys and matching caps that blend classic fit with cultural weight. Each kit leans on iconic symbols like Quetzalcóatl and the Aztec Calendar, plus a “MÉXICO” back wordmark set in the 1968 Olympics font. Colorways hit all the right notes: green and white for the flag, black and gold with away-kit swagger, crisp white and wine-red, and a warm wine and gold nod to pre-green eras.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
Forty-One Raffle Winner Toni Takes Us Inside Her First Atlanta United Matchday
At our Champion Sound party, we raffled two Atlanta United tickets. Toni won, and let us tag along for her first ATLUTD matchday. From pregame to the final whistle, it’s the game through her eyes. Our aim is simple: bring more people closer to soccer culture. Mission accomplished.
EVENTS
Upcoming Events for September 2025
ATLANTA
Saturdays Football Pop-Up
Sept 4th - 7th
1085 Howell Mill Rd, A2, Atlanta, GA 30318
5 Points Cup: 3v3 Futsal Tournament
Underground Atlanta
Saturday, Sept 20 | 12p - 4p EST
Register Here
LOS ANGELES
USA v South Korea Watch Party
The Football Boutique
Saturday, Sep 6th - 12pm
Free with RSVP
Age: 21+ only, valid ID required
Celebración de Culturas
Central American Voices x Mira LA x Football Boutique
Sunday, Sep 14th - 6p - 10p PST
557 E Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
RSVP Here
EAFC 26 Tournament
The Football Boutique
Sunday, Sep 28th - 4p - 9p PST
$26 Entry Fee
Register Here
KANSAS CITY
Premier League In The USA
Sept 20th - 21st
Kansas City Power & Light District
Register Here
Have an event you want to promote on The Forty-One Life? Submit your Request Here
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