Adidas officially unveiled a collection of new home kits for 22 nations ahead of next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The shirts all feature the brand’s iconic logo and three stripes – this time enlarged – along with bespoke touches for each country with inspiration ranging from flags, soccer history, geographic features, and more. Not all of the teams included in Adidas’ release will feature at the men’s tournament next year – some have already been eliminated from contention. Nevertheless, theScore has leveled the playing field by ranking each new look.
(Photos courtesy: Adidas)
22. Hungary 🇭🇺
Hungary doesn’t do interesting shirts – and its insistence on including both the national coat of arms and federation logo presumably causes a headache for kit designers.
21. Algeria 🇩🇿
Yawn. This look isn’t exciting in the slightest, and why is the Algerian flag used rather than the much more interesting federation logo?
20. United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
Yes, there’s a graphic across the arms and shoulders to spice this design up – but it’s scribbled there in grey.
19. Scotland 🏴
This looks like a lot of Scotland shirts down the years. Thankfully, the rumored away jersey that’s appearing online looks much better than this one.
18. Belgium 🇧🇪
It feels like a lot of effort was put into this design. There’s inspiration from the country’s gothic stained-glass windows, icons representing the Red Devils and Red Flames – the nicknames of Belgium’s men’s and women’s teams – and there’s nice detailing on the shoulders and cuffs. But the overall look? It’s alright.
17. Northern Ireland 🇬🇧
Playing in green helps Northern Ireland stand out a bit more than most nations, but there’s little else to stir the senses here. The graphic is inspired by the country’s architecture, apparently.
16. Sweden 🇸🇪
Is this a Ukraine jersey? Nope. Given how Sweden is faring in qualifying, this shirt could come to define an era of unfulfilled promise for the men’s national team. At least the country’s domestic game appears to be in richer health.
15. Chile 🇨🇱
- Eliminated from qualifying
The pattern tied into the red of this shirt takes its visual cues from Chile’s national bird, the condor. But from afar the darker shades look like downward arrows, which neatly summarize how this team has trended since its Copa America triumphs.
14. Ukraine 🇺🇦
Is this a Sweden jersey? Nope. But the Ukrainian threads outdoes the Swedish look due to the subtle shapes inspired by the national coat of arms that are pencilled into the yellow.
13. Peru 🇵🇪
- Eliminated from qualifying
This shirt should be a tap-in, but Adidas skied its effort over the bar from two yards out. Don’t mess with Peru’s sash – it’s one of the most iconic sights in international soccer.
12. Spain 🇪🇸
The yellow of the stripes on the shoulders and the vertical stripes on the front of this Spain jersey is a nice touch. Simple, but fine.
11. Wales 🏴
Horizontal stripes creep on to the Wales shirt for the first time since the 1980s. Wales had some quality players back then – including Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, and Kevin Ratcliffe – but unfortunately failed to qualify for a major tournament in that era.
10. Argentina 🇦🇷
Some gradient hues bring more definition to Argentina’s legendary blue stripes. It’s a look befitting of the reigning World Cup champion.
9. Colombia 🇨🇴
This is shirt is inspired by “magical realism,” apparently. Still, it’s a classic approach to a Colombia shirt – which is no bad thing.
8. Mexico 🇲🇽
Mexico has had some beautiful home and away shirts in recent years, but would this look be a touch classier if the distinct pattern wasn’t so dark? The badge seems a bit lost.
7. Qatar 🇶🇦
A zig-zag is incorporated into this jersey to honor the national flag. After hosting the 2022 World Cup, Qatar booked its spot in the 2026 edition under the guidance of former Real Madrid and West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui.
6. Italy 🇮🇹
Nothing feels particularly new about this shirt, but it’s undoubtedly slick. Now, it’s up to the Azzurri to successfully navigate the qualification process after missing out on the past two World Cups.
5. Japan 🇯🇵
This feels like a classic look for Japan’s men’s team, but the abstract graphic on the front gives it an eye-catching update.
4. Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Adidas says purple and dark green print is inspired by the region’s lavender fields and the “elaborately decorated doorways” found in Saudi Arabia. The shirt is certainly among the more imaginative in this list.
3. Venezuela 🇻🇪
- Eliminated from qualifying
The best kit from a team that definitely won’t be at the World Cup – and, in fact, is the only South American nation to never be represented on the biggest stage of men’s international soccer. The burgundy color is stunning.
2. Germany 🇩🇪
This shirt packs in more nostalgia than the theme tune to your favorite TV show as a kid. It harks back German designs from the 1990s and, of course, its 2014 triumph.
1. Costa Rica 🇨🇷
The design weaved into this shirt manages to be both vibrant and soft, as toucans, leaves, and smiles appear to exude a positive message. Costa Rica needs all the positivity it can get as it currently sits below Honduras in its World Cup qualification group.