32. Canada
These Canada kits for the World Cup are not inherently ugly. The national colors of red and white are proudly displayed — with the logo featuring both a soccer ball and the beloved maple leaf. Here’s where the problem lies: Canada is the only country at this year’s World Cup to not get a new jersey for the event. Both the fans and players within the program are angered by the fact jersey manufacturer Nike dropped the ball on this one. Reportedly, it takes 18 months for a new jersey to be fully designed. Canada switched over to Nike in June of 2021 — thus allegedly not giving the iconic sports brand enough time to give Canada some new threads. The only wrinkle: Canada will also have a black jersey it can use along with the red and white ones.
Image Source: Getty Images
31. Costa Rica
New Balance is the kit sponsor for Los Ticos. The company traditionally known for its shoes kept this design simple to the point where its a bit too bland. You’ve got essentially the same design for both the home and away kits — with the only difference being the color scheme. Even then, a rather ordinary crest sits at the same spot without any dynamic quality to it.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
30. Switzerland
Blah. You’re looking at the first iteration of Puma jerseys for this tournament. As you will soon see, the weird image on the white jersey — which looks like the date on a calendar — seems strange. Switzerland only has two colors to rally around as it pertains to a potential kit. While the actual logo itself is cool, we’re guessing this isn’t the type of kit people will be flooding the streets of Lugano, Geneva, Luzern, Zurich, and Bern to buy.
Image Source: Getty Images
29. Serbia
Again, what are we looking at here? Puma really dropped the ball with Serbia — a team loaded with good, young players (including elite striker Dusan Vlahovic). This team very well might make a deep run in the tournament. There’s enough quality throughout the squad to get to the Quarterfinals (at the very least). However, they’ll be doing so with some rather average threads (though the gold accent on the white kits do help somewhat).
Image Source: Getty Images
28. Uruguay
There was such a missed opportunity here to do something with Uruguay’s iconic kits. La Celeste (meaning ‘The Sky Blue’) is the primary nickname for this team — which is very much one of the most successful national teams in the world when looking at their illustrious rate of winning at the highest level. You’d think some sort of kit would be created to pay homage to the team’s nickname — along with its history as a country. Use some creativity, Puma.
Image Source: Getty Images
27. Morocco
Again, a missed opportunity. The red kit is really ugly — with two gigantic green blocks encasing the Puma logo (along with the crest of Morocco). With the country being such a vibrant, unique place, you’d think the kit would reflect Morocco’s first trip to the World Cup since 2018 (and only second since 1998). Alas, this golden generation of players will be wearing rather boring kits. Nicknamed ‘The Atlas Lions’, couldn’t we have seen some sort of lion iconography on this thing?
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
26. Tunisia
Kappa does a slightly better job here with Tunisia’s uniform. It keeps things rather simple, and doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel too much here. Our biggest gripe is that these more so resemble training uniforms rather than the ones you’d see in games. The accent on the front of the kit is the cuirass (armor) of famed war hero Hannibal. The Tunisian flag is also neatly placed on the back of the collar.
Image Source: Twitter
25. Ecuador
We do really like the blue kits here for Ecuador. The pattern looks particularly cool with the varying hues of blue and black. The choice to have the accent of the flag’s three colors (yellow, red, blue) pair nicely with the juxtaposition of the white on the crest and collar. The yellow one — on the other hand — is a misstep. For one, kit sponsor Marathon isn’t shy with its rather large logo (which competes with the crest). The crest itself is actually awesome. It pairs the country’s native condor bird with the FEF (Ecuadorian Football Federation). With that said, the yellow jersey could’ve incorporated a cleaner, bigger version of the condor in some form or fashion.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
24. Wales
To be clear, these uniforms are not hideous in any way. There’s a nice flow to them, and Adidas does a good job in integrating the three colors of white, red, and green in a way that isn’t recycled. With that said, when you’ve got a nickname of ‘The Dragons”, we’re expecting to see something grandiose and potentially ‘in-your-face’! At the very least, maybe we could’ve explored a green uniform in order to mimic the mystical creature.
Image Source: Getty Images
23. Iran
Local company Majid were the manufactures of Iran’s uniforms. As you can see, there’s not the most dynamic kits in the world. However, they do a decent job in illustrating the three primary colors you’d find on Iran’s flag. The green ‘swoosh’ is cool — as is the logo with a soccer ball on it. However, we would’ve liked to have seen a bit more variation on the jersey itself.
Image Source: Getty Images
22. Senegal
This is better from Puma (though we still don’t like that odd shape outlined on the green kit in yellow). The white jersey is the star of the show here for Senegal. It’s colorful, dynamic, and beautifully depicts the colors of the country. We do appreciate green being the solid color choice of the second jersey. However, as we’ve been lamenting in this piece with Puma, we wish something would’ve been done differently to not include the weird encapsulation of a players’ numbers.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
21. England
Meh. It’s the one word we came up with when looking at England’s set of uniforms. The red one is the favored one of the two — though some have complained that it comes off almost as a weird orange color in person. The accents of light blue along with the navy color somewhat salvages it. However, the white tops are utterly unforgettable. There’s far too much white space, and the weird gradient color scheme at the top looks like the spectrum one could choose when designing a jersey for an expansion team on FIFA or Madden.
Image Source: Getty Images
20. Cameroon
In 2002, Cameron wore sleeveless jerseys to the World Cup. FIFA intervened and issued a warning to fix the jerseys — which resulted in the team wearing long sleeve black undershirts. In the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon wore onesies. Now, the team has adopted a more conventional approach to its garb. There have been conflicting reports over the manufacturer — with some saying it’s Le Coq Sportif — and others One All Sports (a motocross company). Either way, it’s highly likely we’ll see something akin to what’s pictured above.
Image Source: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
19. Spain
To be fair, these aren’t the worst jerseys we’ve ever seen. Adidas is usually on the cutting-edge when it comes to crafting aesthetically pleasing soccer kits. They sort of mailed it in with the red one, as it looks eerily similar to other Spain kits we’ve seen in the past. The blue one actually looks pretty unique (as that shade of blue isn’t always related to the country’s soccer uniforms traditionally). However, making a three-tiered line with the Adidas logo, followed by Spain’s crest and then the uniform number looks a bit clunky.
Image Source: Getty Images
18. Ghana
Of all the Puma kits, this is one we can get behind. Nicknamed ‘Black Stars’, Ghana enters the tournament for the first time in 2014. There’s tons of optimism considering the suddenly deepened player pool (courtesy of dual-nationals from other countries with Ghanaian heritage). The white jersey immediately sticks out as a crowd pleaser. The gigantic black star pays homage to the same black star found on the country’s flag. The bright colors of red, green, and yellow absolutely pop when contrasted with the black and white.
Image Source: Getty Images
17. Australia
We’re a little disappointed with the Socceroos jersey. You’ve technically still got the crest which features a kangaroo and an emu. However, we would’ve loved some kangaroo-centric jersey where the marsupial was visible more so than just a small thumbnail. We do give Nike credit for giving us two completely different jersey from a color standpoint (even if the navy and teal colors don’t exactly give off ‘Australian’ vibes).
Image Source: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
16. United States
Well…these jerseys certainly were deflating. They’re not horrible, per se. With that said, much of the fan base have been quite disgruntled by the release of these jerseys. They were leaked unceremoniously, and many thought they were training jerseys rather than actual game jerseys. Even players on the U.S. team were offering cryptic messages before jerseys were released voicing their displeasure over them. We’ll see how they look in Qatar, but we’ll admit that it appears as if Nike got very lazy with the design of these jerseys.
Image Source: Getty Images
15. Argentina
Now we’re cooking with gas. It’s hard to mess up Argentina’s iconic white and blue vertically striped uniform. It’s one of the most recognizable and iconic jerseys in the entire sport. The other jersey, however, is a bit ambitious — even for Adidas’ standards. We’ll be curious to see how these flames look in person. The color of purple isn’t usually emblematic of Argentina. It’s said the color was chosen as a call to fight for gender equality. The flames themselves reportedly come from the ‘Sun of May’ found on the flag.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
14. Qatar
The host nation has two solid looking uniforms for the tournament. The red kit in particular showcases Qatar’s crest in a big way. The patterning on the sleeves is a nice touch. Duly, the white kit has dusty accents which could mimic the desert terrain in the country. It fits well with the colors of cream and maroon. While not possessing a ton of bells and whistles, it’s a good looking set of kits nonetheless.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
13. Netherlands
It’s difficult to mess these uniforms up. The iconic orange kits are always synonymous with Holland — as it reenters the World Cup field. Whenever you see those babies on television, you know the Dutch are playing. The away jersey is understated yet classy. You still have the accents of orange amidst the dominant color of dark blue. These are handsome kits, to be sure.
Image Source: Twitter
12. Croatia
We love these jerseys. Again, in terms of iconic/noteworthy kits, the checkerboard jerseys are automatically associated with Croatia. Nike didn’t want to reinvent the wheel here, and they did a nice job maintaining the classic nature of the jersey while also updating it slightly (with the pattern on the socks). The blue jerseys are quite nice, with just a sliver of the checkerboard glistening with aqua blue against the navy backdrop. The light accent of red really does shine as well.
Image Source: Getty Images
11. France
Let’s first start with the dark blue kit. It’s stunning — with the gold surely paying homage to France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018. As for the white jerseys…they’re fantastic. It’s a bit too difficult to see from the picture, but the white kit has lightly drawn images all over the jersey in gray coloring. These images include beautiful buildings and other iconography stemming from Paris and the rest of the country. If it were a bit more readable from a distance, they’d be ranked even higher.
Image Source: Getty Images
10. Saudi Arabia
Who would’ve thought that Saudi Araba would have some of the best kits at the World Cup? We really do like both for different ways. The white kit is unique from the standpoint that lightly drawn gray leaves and feathers cover the bulk of the jersey. From there, the green logo/crest pops against the white. Then, the predominantly green jersey has a truly dynamic pattern. It’s one of those kits that could become highly popular akin to what the Nigeria jersey was a few years ago. It may seem busy to some, but truly striking to others.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
9. Poland
These are classy kits — harkening back to an older time. You could easily envision the red jersey being utilized in the ’70’s or ’80’s. The clean lines on the sleeves and collar truly pop — with the crest of Poland being prominent. Again on the white jersey, the red crest really stands out. We also like the grayish wrinkle splashed across both sleeves. Well done, Nike.
Image Source: FootyHeadlines
8. Belgium
Belgium is nicknamed ‘The Red Devils’ for a reason. As such, Adidas surely tucked into that narrative — giving us a highly colorful red and black kit with literal flames on the shoulders. Those are absolutely awesome. From there, the white jersey is far from the standard boring homogenous shirt. We see a plethora of different colors popping on the collar, logo, crest, sleeves, sides of the shirt, and the tops of the shoulders. This combination specifically kicks off our ‘heavy-hitters’ from a jersey standpoint.
Image Source: Getty Images
7. Brazil
The most recognizable jersey in world football to date is the Brazil yellow kits with the blue shorts and accents of green. Simply put, they’re flawless. Though not pictured, the black keeper uniforms are also awesome. These blue ones also step their game up big-time — especially with the sleeves. The pattern on the sleeves is supposed to be emblematic of a jaguar (as both the jaguar and the team itself displays grit and tenacity). There’s even subtle texture on the yellow jersey if you look closely.
Image Source: Getty Images
6. Denmark
As you can see here, Denmark’s jerseys have been muted by manufacturer Hummel. Here’s a press release (via Instagram) as to why this was done:
With the Danish national team’s new jerseys, we wanted to send a dual message. They are not only inspired by Euro 92, paying tribute to Denmark’s greatest football success, but also a protest against Qatar and its human rights record. That’s why we’ve toned down all the details for Denmark’s new World Cup jerseys, including our logo and iconic chevrons.
We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation. We believe that sport should bring people together. And when it doesn’t, we want to make a statement.
#HistoryIsWhatWeDoNow
Image Source: Twitter
5. South Korea
‘The Tiger’ moniker stemming from the team’s powerful identity was highlighted brilliantly with the red kit. You can see the tiger stripes draped on both shoulders. The color of red itself reportedly represents the fierce/proud nature of the country. The predominantly black jersey resembles an atypical yet colorful painting. However, there’s a story behind its marvelous appearance. The colors of red and blue symbolize the dichotomy of heaven and Earth. Without a doubt, the combination of the two is among the best in the entire tournament.
Image Source: Getty Images
4. Portugal
The best kit at the tournament for Nike — without a doubt. Portugal’s patented red and green has been showcased terrifically here in both kits. The white kit clearly shows the iconic red and green band — with the crest sitting neatly above. As for the other kit, it’s aimed at mimicking a player being wrapped up lovingly in the country’s flag. Aggressive, bold, colorful, and easy to read…we love it.
Image Source: Getty Images
3. Germany
Germany’s kits hit it out of the proverbial park. The combination of burgundy, gold, and black just looks immensely sharp. There’s really nothing negative to say about the kit. While some may believe the white and black jerseys look eerily similar to some iteration of Juventus, the bold black stripe really does function as a strong focal point. Again, the gold blended with these two primary colors also makes a ton of sense visually.
Image Source: Getty Images
2. Mexico
The green jerseys for El Tri are solid though unspectacular in nature. It cleanly displays the country’s three prominent colors and a redesigned crest. From that aspect, a job well done. However, we’re truly captivated by the other kit. The away jersey pays homage to Mexico’s indigenous history. Rooted in Aztec design, it shows various symbols — including a conch shell, a staff, and fire. Without a doubt, that kit may be the single best uniform at the entire tournament.
Image Source: Getty Images
1. Japan
Finally, the stars of the proverbial show come courtesy of Adidas. Both of Japan’s kits just rock. The white away kit is clean enough to be worn in everyday life as an exceptionally cool shirt. It’s not too busy — yet has clean lines and subtle, colorful graphics on the sleeves in the form of origami. It’s also the first time Japan has worn black shorts. Duly, the away blue jersey is jam-packed with origami — which aims to illustrate the wishes of both players and those in Japan. A job well done, Adidas.
Image Source: Getty Images