Question: i have this menu:

```
<div class="nav">
    <ul>
        <li><a href="#">HOME</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">AMORTECIMENTO</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>

```

the normal apearance:

![normal apearance](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kotti.png)

and this is the apearance when users hover the menu:

![:hover apearance](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ooari.png)

So, i dont know how to setup the css, assuming i have biggest names on menu like: "AMORTECIMENTO"

Any tips??

i have tried this, but on small names, the menu is cutting the background...

```
.nav ul li a{
    display:block;
    font-size:15px;
    color:#000;
    padding:5px 7px;
    background:transparent;
    text-decoration:none;
}

.nav ul li:hover{
    background:url(../imagens/bola_fundo_menu.png) center no-repeat;
}

```

My intention is, when user hover the menu item, on the `<li>` background, apear the basketball, and on `<a>` tag, the background is going to #FFF but i have small and big names on menu, so i can't set width of `<li>` and `<a>` tags... i think

Answer: 
Here is a quick example using pseudo-elements: <http://codepen.io/anon/pen/iwerJ>

Using the exact HTML you originally posted, with CSS like this:

```
.nav { 
  background: #CCC; 
  font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
  line-height: 48px; 
  margin: 50px auto 0;
  width: 90%;
}

.nav ul:after {
  clear: both;
  content: '';
  display: block; 
}

.nav ul li {
  float: left;
  font-size: 14px;
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0 10px;
  position: relative;
}
.nav ul li:hover:after {
    /* Replace background with image */
    background: #abc123;
    /* Optionally remove radius */
    border-radius: 30px;

    content: '';
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%; left: 50%;
    margin-top: -30px; 
    margin-left: -30px;
    height: 60px; width: 60px;
}

.nav a {
  color: #333;
  display: inline-block;
  line-height: 180%;
  padding: 0 4px;
  position: relative;
  text-decoration: none;
  z-index: 1;
}
    .nav li:hover a { background: #FFF; }

```
on your nav class all you have to do is write your css like this:

```
.nav ul li:hover
{ 
background-image:url('yourimage.jpg');
}

```