Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ Releases Capsule Soccer Collection Ahead of Film Release
Nov 14, 2023
by Anna Tingley
Ahead of the theatrical debut of Taika Waititi “Next Goal Wins” this weekend, Searchlight Pictures and the lifestyle brand Accompany have released a limited-edition, artisan capsule collection for soccer players, consisting of a handmade soccer ball and athletic socks.
Waititi stars in a campaign for the new collection, called the Fa’atasi Capsule, in which he sits in an all-white ensemble on a crisp soccer field. “As a filmmaker, there’s nothing I love more than telling stories that represent different cultures,” he says in the campaign video. “For example, my latest film ‘Next Goal Wins’ takes place in the American Samoa. Where is that, you ask? It’s in the Pacific. Google it.”
“It’s the true story of the International Football team but it’s about way more than just soccer,” he continues. “It’s about Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way.”
“Next Goal Wins” is based on the true story of the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. Their story was immortalized in the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, although Waititi took some creative liberties in adapting the story for the screen.
The film picks up with the World Cup Qualifiers approaching, as the team hires down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) in the hopes he will turn around their bleak track record.
Will Arnett, Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu, Semu Filipo and Lehi Falepapalangi round out the cast.
Also starring in the capsule collection’s campaign video is Jaiyah Saelua, played by Kaimana in “Next Goal Wins,” who is a central defender and the first openly transgender pro footballer. In the video, she’s seen running the field with the collection’s colorful athletic socks and playfully patterned soccer ball.
The original patterns throughout the collection were created by artist Yuki Kihara to reflect siapo (handmade barkcloth), one of the oldest Sāmoan cultural art forms which has been passed from generation to generation. In tandem with the collection, Accompany has made a $10,000 donation to the Society of Fa’afafine in American Samoa.