The Neighborhood Cup Collection started with a simple idea: what happens when football culture is viewed through the lens of neighborhood identity?

On April 6, 2026, Mathmatik Athletics partnered with Hult International Business School for a 3-week business challenge centered around this summer’s global fútbol moment. But this wasn’t a traditional classroom assignment.

Nine teams competed agency-style, each tasked with developing a complete country-inspired collection and cultural watch party experience from the ground up. Students were challenged to think beyond apparel — building creative direction, campaign storytelling, product concepts, activation strategy, and community-driven experiences rooted in the intersection of sport, identity, and culture.

The challenge pushed teams to operate like real creative agencies under pressure, presenting concepts that blended fashion, football culture, and neighborhood storytelling into fully realized brand worlds.

Out of the nine teams, Team Mexico emerged with a standout concept.

Team Mexico was comprised of Sara Manrique, Sofi Argenziano, Beatriz Cavazos, Armando Milla, and Jaco Leonard, representing five different nationalities. Their team won the business challenge because of their drive, collaboration, and ability to produce industry-level creative work under pressure.

Team Mexico capsule collection was led creatively by Mexican designer Beatriz Cavazos. the team development a collection that felt emotionally authentic, culturally grounded, and commercially viable at an agency level. The work went beyond designing a jersey — it created a narrative around modern Mexican identity, fútbol culture, and the way sport lives inside neighborhoods across the world.

What started as a student competition quickly evolved into a real-world collaboration between Mathmatik Athletics and the Hult International Business School team, bringing the Mexico collection to life beyond the classroom.

Together, the team created a jersey rooted in heritage while shaped by the energy of modern street culture.

“This jersey was designed as a love letter to Mexican soccer and the culture surrounding it which is passionate, emotional, imperfect, loud, proud, and impossible to ignore.”

 

-Beatriz Cavazos

 

   

The piece draws inspiration from the iconic 1986 Mexico kit, reimagined through contemporary street culture and modern Mexican identity. Across the body, custom graphics influenced by Aztec symbolism and traditional Mexican artistry create texture and depth without losing the spirit of the original reference point.

Gold embroidery on the crest acts as a symbol of pride, legacy, and cultural greatness while the oversized fit reflects how soccer jerseys now live beyond the pitch. Today, football shirts exist inside music, fashion, neighborhood culture, and everyday style as much as they do inside stadiums.

This project came together through collaboration across multiple creative disciplines inside the Mathmatik Athletics creative team and Hult International partnership.

Creative Team

• Armando — Direction + Photography
• Sara — Content Strategy
• Sofia  — Creative Support
• Beatriz — Fashion Design
• Jaco — Creative Support + Brand Partnership

The Neighborhood Cup Collection reflects the future of global sports culture through a neighborhood perspective. A reminder that football has never only belonged to stadiums. It belongs to the people carrying it everyday.

Shop The Collection

 

SPECIAL THANKS

Mathmatik Athletics would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Caryn Pang, Dean Mary, and Hult International Business School for believing in the vision behind this project and creating space for young creatives, strategists, and designers to push 
culture forward through sport. 

What started as a 3-week business challenge evolved into something much bigger — a collaborative effort rooted in storytelling, identity, and community. 

We’re excited to continue evolving the Neighborhood Cup 
Collection and seeing where this grows next.