Racks of England's new Nike designed football shirt, with the controversial St George's cross, are displayed for sale in a central London store on March 22, 2024. LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday said Nike was wrong to "mess with" the design of the flag on the England soccer team's new shirt, as a controversy that began on social media broadened into the political sphere. They feature a small version of the St. George's Cross — which appears on the England flag in red on a white background — on the collar in different shades including purple and blue. The design was criticized by a large number of people on social media who said a national flag should not be altered, while others argued the debate was being overblown. The hashtag #BoycottNike was shared by a significant number of accounts on social media platform X.Sunak on Friday said he "prefers the original," the BBC reported.

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Persons: Rishi Sunak, Nike, BoycottNike, Sunak Organizations: Nike, St, LONDON, England soccer, England Football, England, BBC Locations: London, U.S