‘How to describe it, other than slime or puke?’: another World Cup player dons unreleased Beats headphones and that’s got to be a custom colorway… right? | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
‘How to describe it, other than slime or puke?’: another World Cup player dons unreleased Beats headphones and that’s got to be a custom colorway… right?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
They have appeared around neck of World Cup player, again
When currently-unannounced Beats headphones were spotted in social media posts from Spain player Lamine Yamal ahead of the 2026 World Cup, I said "there's a good chance we'll see more of them". Well, I called it, because it happened again.
A series of Instagram posts from South Korea midfielder Lee Kang-in, posted to celebrate the team's 2-1 victory over Czechia in its first match of the tournament, gives pride of place to the same Beats headphones as we saw before.
This time though, instead of a rose hue, they come in white and... a neon yellow I'll politely not refer to as 'Sourz vomit', although it looks like the result of one too many alcopops. How to describe it other than 'slime' or 'puke' though?
I know what you're thinking: maybe they gave it to Lee to match his team's colors? Nope, South Korea plays in red and black, with an occasional violet-slash-lavender away kit for the 2026 World Cup.
A post shared by KANG IN LEE 이강인🇰🇷 (@kanginleeoficial)A photo posted by on
A post shared by KANG IN LEE 이강인🇰🇷 (@kanginleeoficial)
Some commentators are using this peculiar color combination as evidence that the cans will have replaceable cups, clearly hoping that Beats will let them ditch the pads for something else, but that feels like grasping at straws.
Not sure about Air Pods Max 2? New Beats headphones were spotted at the World Cup training camp
I got scanned by FIFA’s World Cup VAR tech — here’s what it’s like to become a digital twin
Get a clear look at Sony's new secret high-end headphones in these photos
There's no actual evidence of this, and the faint hint of a yellow headband behind Lee's neck suggests that these are just two-tone cans, instead of it being a choice on his part.
The vantage gives us a better look at the rounded build of these new cans, which swaps out the noughties-chic of Beats' previous cans with a CMF Headphone-looking tiered build. Beyond the choice color options, they actually look pretty suave.
The most appealing part of the redesign to me is the band, which looks much thinner than before, and circular, so it'll potentially be much more comfortable to wear. We'll have to see, but a launch will likely come hot on the heels of this World Cup catwalk.
Has anyone outside of a World Cup squad used them yet?
Just like when we saw them alongside Lamine Yamal, Lee Kang-in doesn't get snapped actually using the new Beats headphones, although he does keep them closer to his person.
While Yamal kept them at arms' length, hooking them to his bag and only being photographed with them around his neck once, Lee has them around his neck several times.
Sony's new headphones leak again in very official-looking and clear renders
You think your World Cup home theater setup is good? It's nothing compared to this…
World Cup 2026 LIVE: Free streams, TV guide & how to watch from anywhere in the world
Neither of these soccer players has been seen actually using the new Beats headphones. Maybe owning, but not actually using, headphones is the fashionable thing to do. Or maybe they saw our critical Beats Solo 4 review and want to keep the new pair at arms' length.
It's unlikely that Apple has chosen two specific players out of hundreds to give its headphones to, so as the group stages of the World Cup progress, we'll probably see more sightings of the Beats.
We've glimpsed pink, and white-yellow, and hopefully we'll see a few more color options show up.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best noise cancelling headphones
- Best overall: Sony WH-1000XM6
- Best mid-range: Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones
- Best under $100/£100: 1 More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
- Best under $60/£50: Soundcore Q30
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond Tech Radar, he has bylines on sites including Games Radar, Digital Trends, Android Police, Tech Advisor, Whatto Watch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the Tech Radar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1‘How to describe it, other than slime or puke?’: another World Cup player dons unreleased Beats headphones and that’s got to be a custom colorway… right?
2 How to watch Spain vs Cape Verde: Free Streams & TV Channels
3 The i Phone 17 Pro is 'a pleasure to look at, hold, and use' — and T-Mobile has just brought back its best deal ever on the device
4FBI takes out huge AI-powered phishing service using over a million URLs
5 Gemini on Google TVs is getting its most useful upgrade yet: voice control of picture settings
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
