The 2022 football World Cup is due to begin on Sunday, November 20. At 16:00, the first match will kick off between the hosts Qatar facing off against Ecuador. Following that, three matches will play out Monday, November 21, and so on.
This year’s competition is starting later than the norm due to its location. The heat in Qatar is overwhelming in the summer months and so event organisers chose to postpone it by a few months to counteract this. It has already experienced a lot of negativity due to its location, though. Qatar doesn’t have the best reputation for its human rights policies. The controversy affects players, sponsors and fans alike, yet it is still due to go ahead, with Qatar reportedly spending around £220 billion on the event.
Despite the issues surrounding the competition, many fans are looking forward to it and as the start date draws closer, one of those moments has been the release of team kit designs. The World Cup, throughout history, has seen some excellent kits come to the fore. For the 2022 tournament, we wanted to take a look at the best kits you will see on the pitch. Some of them could be strange, some of them could feature classic designs, others could be something you’d wear everyday yourself. Here, we take a look at the best football kits for the 2022 World Cup.
Mexico
Mexico is due to play its first match in the 2022 World Cup on November 22. This will see them face off against Poland at 19:00 in Doha. It is then that the team’s World Cup kit will be on display. That match sees them wear their home colours.
Crafted by Adidas, it is a vibrant green colour with a red trim. There is also a cleaned-up badge and an abstract pattern around the neckline. This expands down to resemble a headdress worn by Aztec deity, Quetzalcoatl.
Once again, it is the away kit that offers a stunning alternative for Mexico, though. At first glance, it may look strange, but upon closer inspection, it is a wonderful design. Against an off-white background are several Aztec relics stitched in red. There is little doubt that Mexico will be easy to identify on the pitch in them. Watch for the kit’s debut when Mexico takes on Argentina on November 26 from Lusail.
Japan
Reports suggest Japan’s home kit for the World Cup gets its inspiration from origami. Another Adidas design, it sold out within hours of becoming available at the online shop. It is also the first Japan shirt to include the textless Adidas logo, which has proven popular with fans.
Against the kit’s dark blue background, you can see several lighter shades in triangle shapes. These look like folded pieces of paper to resemble a crane, for example. Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, so it makes sense.
In the 2022 World Cup, Japan is in Group E with Spain, Costa Rica and Germany. The team will debut its away kit first on November 23 when it takes on Germany. The same origami style designs are present on the sleeves of this otherwise white attire. This time, they’re present in red and blue. It almost looks like you should look at the patterns through 3D glasses.
Argentina
Sticking with Adidas, which is the winner of the designers this year, Argentina’s home kit is a classic. It utilises the blue and white vertical stripes that the team is so often associated with. Black logos stand out in a perfect way against the stripes. If you look at the back of the kit, you’ll see that the design deviates a little.
Two thick blue stripes run down the outside, while two thinner blue stripes run down the centre. This makes it look like the Argentinian flag. The Sol de Mayo, Argentina’s national emblem, is also on the back under the collar. Black shorts and white socks complete the ensemble.
The away kit for Argentina is another amazing creation, though. You may have seen Messi wearing it in the recent friendly game against Honduras. In that match, he and his team secured a 3-0 victory. The kit is a unique purple colour, presenting a slick and silky design. It’s the purple flames from the bottom of the shirt that make it altogether more appealing. Argentina will doubtless be on fire when they kick things off against Saudi Arabia on November 22.
Qatar
Even with the mass of controversy surrounding Qatar, it has splashed the cash on the World Cup. The construction of seven new stadiums and the redevelopment of a current one took place. The country has also taken to providing top-quality hotels and public spaces. Meanwhile, the public transport and roads have gone through their own refurbishment. The host nation also looks to impress with its team’s kit design, too.
Red, white and gold/sand are the colours utilised in the kit. Nike is the company responsible for creating the kit. There is a white serrated trim on the red home kit, resembling the Qatar flag. This, the manufacturer said, represents the country’s 1971 independence from Great Britain. Yet many have commented on the Qatar away kit as standing out much more. It has a sandy/gold colour to it, which is impressive. This represents the coastline of the host nation, and it stands out in an excellent way.
The Netherlands
If there is one team looking to stand out at this year’s World Cup, it’s the Netherlands. That is the case when it comes to the home kit, at least. It has a bit more of a yellow tone to it than in previous incarnations. Nike designed this one, and it brings an almost psychedelic flamboyance to the team.
Nike has marked it as “Laser Orange” in colour. Meanwhile, the logo appears in a darker shade of orange. It will debut in the World Cup against Ecuador on November 25 from Al Rayyan. Reports suggest that the design should look like the fur of a lion.
In stark contrast, the away kit for the Dutch team is quite dark. The main colour of it, “Deep Royal” blue combines with a reddish-orange accent for its logos. The official statement on the kit is that it represents the story of culture and football in the country. Black embellishments under the neckline, arms and sides bring it a bit more pizzazz.
England
Another launch by Nike, England’s home kit utilises the main colour of white. Sky blue and navy blue also make their way into the design. Nike calls this a “White/Blue Fury/Blue Void” combination. Together, they invoke memories of the late 90s for the England team. It is the sleeves where the blue colours exist, coming together in a sort of gradient. Those colours repeat themselves on the cuffs, too. Navy shorts and white socks complete the attire for the home kit.
A vibrant red colour will blare out from the pitch when it comes to England’s away kit. The Nike and England logos appear on top of this in navy and light blue. It serves as another primarily red England kit, with the last one coming in the 2018 tournament. The shirt combines with red shorts and socks for a bit more of a retro vibe.
France
France isn’t usually a country to go for understated looks. After all, Paris is one of the centres of fashion, some say. For the 2022 World Cup, the home kit is very much in that understated category, though. The current World Cup champions celebrate France Nouveau (New France) with their kits. They combine both heritage and the future of the country.
A navy base with metallic gold for the logos serves as the make-up for the home kit. It may sound simple, but it is actually a stunning design. They will doubtless be looking to recreate their trophy win in 2018’s competition. This kit is likely to make that scene look all the more impressive.
The away kit for France features a base white colour to build upon. Designer Nike has labelled it as “White & Game Royal”, thanks to the royal blue logos. Inspiration comes from the traditional Toile de Jouy fabric. It maintains the French cockerel logo, while the Arc de Triomphe is also present in the design. So too is the Clairefontaine football centre.
Saudi Arabia
Nike is yet again responsible for a prolific kit design. This time for Saudi Arabia. The country’s home kit has a predominant white colour on it, while a green collar embellishes it. The Nike tick is the same colour. A palm leaf pattern is present as an imprint on the white background. Meanwhile, a different colour of green and white is in place for the KSA logo.
Making a stark difference is the away kit for Saudi Arabia. Consisting of a dark green colour, it almost looks like a shattering crystal of sorts. Lighter green tonal patterns stand out in a pleasing way against the darker shade. The Saudi football team’s logo remains the same, but the Nike tick is in white. This one is set to debut against Argentina on November 22 from Lusail.
South Korea
Starting things off in Group H against Uruguay on November 24, South Korea looks for a better 2022 World Cup. In the previous competition, the team only won one of the group stage games against Germany. The debut match that it will play this year will see the team wear their away colours. As it happens, this is one of the most stunning kits to exist.
Another Nike design, it uses black as a primary colour. It then splashes multicolour graphics across the front, back and sleeves. The Nike logo and South Korea’s FA logo are both plain white on top. It is this away kit that highlights Taegeuk. This symbol is on the country’s flag, representing national pride. It is also representative of heaven (blue) and earth (red).
For the team’s home kit, Nike has gone with a bold red design. Black trim is present on the collar. The Nike logo and Korean FA logo come in black, too. It is this home kit that focuses on the motif of Dokkaebi. These are legendary creatures from Korean mythology and folkore. Legend says that they have extraordinary powers and abilities to interact with humans. The sleeves of this red kit have blackened, almost tiger-stripe graphics on them. This, Nike says, represents the fierce mentality of a proud nation.
Croatia
It may be the case that Croatia lost 4-2 to France in the 2018 World Cup, but the team impressed. Doubtless, they look to do exactly the same this year, and with a stunning kit in tow, too. A part of Group F, Croatia will play its first game against Morocco on November 23. This will see them don their away kit, which has a typical colour combo for the country.
It combines a dark navy-blue base and light blue graphic elements. Red logos are in place atop this, and Nike is the designer. It describes the colour scheme as “Blackened Blue/University Red”. The blurred graphic of the away jersey takes inspiration from the Adriatic coastline. This, Nike says, has its own intriguing ebbs and flows.
The home kit that Croatia will wear is set to appear on November 27. This will see the team face Canada at 19:00 from Al Rayyan. The country’s iconic red and white checkers incorporate themselves into this kit. The two main colours combine together with “Battle Blue” for its applications. Many of the checkers are not present on the front and back of the home kit. This brings a unique design to everything, while players will wear white shorts and socks, too.
