Why are male World Cup players wearing sports bras?

We don’t know Victoria’s secret, but we might’ve figured out Vini Jr.’s.People on social media have been pointing out that World Cup soccer players seem to be rocking some extra support underneath their jerseys — or out on their own.“Their matching sports bras are sooooo cute,” reads one TikTok caption.“This is peak girlhood.”“I love their little sports bras,” wrote another user.While the undergarments certainly evoke the iconic image of Brandi Chastain at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, these star athletes are actually wearing GPS vests that track and measure performance during training and matches.A majority of the World Cup players, including the entire Brazil national men’s team, wear the vests, which are made by sports technology companies like Sports Performance Tracking (SPT), Catapult and STATSports.

“Because the vests are tight and cropped, many viewers think male athletes are wearing sports bras for chest support,” Thomas Borchert, an account executive at SPT, told the Post.“The crop-top design is purely functional.

It keeps the GPS pod securely anchored between the shoulder blades.This is the optimal anatomical position for satellite signal reception, minimal body movement interference and player safety during collisions.”The goal? To help teams better understand each player’s individual output and make smarter decisions about training and recovery, giving coaches and staff the data they need to push players to their limits while protecting them from injury.

Yes, it’s the same GPS technology used in navigation apps and trackers.They’re also part of the same family of sports wearables as biometric fitness devices like Oura rings, Apple Watches and Whoop bands.

Unlike runners following a predictable route, soccer players and other field-based athletes sprint, cut, collide and constantly change direction.That means the sophisticated GPS technology inside these vests is built to collect and store data throughout practi...