Secure the Stella and strap in for a wild ride: the World Cup is nearly here. The beautiful game’s biggest stage is back (albeit six months later than die-hards and hooligans might have hoped), and, with it, billions of fanatics watching in awestruck wonder as mega-star athletes from the like of Real Madrid and Manchester City carry their nations on their backs to global footballing conquest.
This year’s tournament, set to kick off November 20 in host nation Qatar, has all the dram-filled subplots that a quadrennial phenomenon demands: legend’s final stands, young squads poised for glory and, paramount to any good World Cup, dozens of killer new kits. Spanning nine athletic brands (notably, Nike, Adidas and Puma account for more than 75% of the kits present) and an array of hues, 64 unique jerseys — all 32 qualified teams are allotted home and away, to avoid any color clashes — will be on dazzling display, not only on the backs of Lionel Messi and Neymar but on millions of adoring fans, ourselves included.
Of course, not all kits are created equal, and this year’s cohort is a particularly mixed bag, so naturally, we’ve decided to painstakingly track down, subjectively critique, and subsequently undertake the arduous and possibly pointless task of ranking every kit to grace the pitch at the 2022 World Cup. (It’s a hard job, yes, but someone got to do it.) Many are awful, some are outrageous and a few are football legacies in the making: regardless of quality and wearability, you’ll find them on our list. Below, every kit from the FIFA World Cup 2022, ranked.
“Should Be Eliminated on Kit Alone”: 64-60
64: Canada, Away (Nike)
Our neighbors to the north find themselves last on this list, not for their kits themselves, but the lack thereof. The sole country not to receive a new set of kits — the result of the mounties being “on a different kit development cycle” — Canada will continue to wear their Nike-issued teamwear from the previous year, a travesty considering the scale and opportunity of the 2022 World Cup.
63: Cameron, Home (One)
Cameron is one of six nations not wearing the jerseys from the big three (Nike, Adidas and Puma), and unfortunately for them, the African country’s new One All Sports-sponsored kits look more like to children’s superhero pajamas than they do proper kits.
62: England, Home (Nike)
Football may or may not be coming home, but the atrocious shoulder gradient makes it crystal clear that perennial favorite England has already lost. Yes, it pays homage to the ’80s kits, but with none of the class that legends like Paul Gascoigne and the Three Lions carried themselves with.
61: Argentina, Away (Adidas)
Argentina’s story is a tale of two kits; while their classic white-and-blue stripes are better than ever (we’ll get to that), their away kit’s purple, Hot Wheels-esque flame graphics leave everything to be desired.
60: Belgium, Home (Adidas)
Once again, Kevin Debruyne proves himself assist king with the Red Devil’s latest digs — assisting Haaland for club, Lukaku for country, and now, Guy Fieri with some new Flavortown uniforms.
“Red Cards”: 59-50
59: Cameron, Away (One)
Cameron’s away jersey doesn’t look much better than its home, although the addition of color contrast makes it marginally more palatable. Still a nay for us.
58: Qatar, Away (Nike)
Host nation Qatar kicks off a run of what we’ll affectionately refer to as “duplicate jerseys” — try as they might with inverted colors and tonal underlays, the designers can’t fool us: it’s the same-ish design, and much worse, they same vibe, for both home and away kits. We’ll certainly call out the lack of ingenuity…
57: Qatar, Home (Nike)
…and on top of that, they’re not even interesting to look at. Qatar’s maroon is nicer than the white, but that’s about all we can say.
56: Costa Rica, Away (New Balance)
The same applies for New Balance-designed Costa Rica.
55: Costa Rica, Home (New Balance)
Seriously, you have four years, and this is the best you can come up with?
54: Iran, Away (Majid)
Iran’s kits are a similar level of blandness as the previous entrants…
53: Iran, Home (Majid)
…while the sparse graphics do little to remedy the mess.
52: Tunisia, Home (Kappa)
Tunisia wins the “best of” for this uninspiring duplicate block, thanks to a tonal underlay…
51: Tunsia, Away (Kappa)
…which isn’t saying much. Color us unimpressed.
50: Switzerland, Away (Puma)
The first of many Puma kits to come (the majority of which are just plain bad), the striping of Switzerland’s away kit falls flat, as does the boxy and out-of-place number plaque, a jarring graphic that spans all of Puma’s away kits and rarely hits it mark.
“Yellow Cards”: 49-40
49: Saudi Arabia, Home (Nike)
The green falcon’s bold chest crest and tonal neckband make Saudi’s home kit slightly better than previous entrants (emphasis on slightly).
48: Serbia, Away (Puma)
We’re unsure about the shape of Serbia’s aforementioned chest graphic, and without other saving graces, it clocks in at a cool 48.
47: Switzerland, Home (Puma)
Switzerland’s home kit is a healthy reminder that the V-neck, more of than not, is solidly mid.
46: Serbia, Home (Puma)
Excellent colors and a storied crest can’t save the odd, almost offputting cut of Serbia’s home jersey. Truly, not Puma’s year.
45: Canada, Home (Nike)
Though we ranked Canada last, both score right about here at by jersey alone: not an eyesore, but certainly nothing to write home about.
44: Ecuador, Away (Marathon)
Ecuador’s kits were some of the last to be finalized, and although new sponsor Marathon makes a valiant effort, the away rendition is, in a word, uninspiring.
43: Wales, Away (Adidas)
What we like about Wales’ away kit: toothy collar and the dragon crest! What we dislike: everything else.
42: Wales, Home (Adidas)
The Welsh find more success in their classic red, with a wavy zag pattern completing a perfectly acceptable home jersey.
41: Australia, Away (Nike)
The ‘roos in blue has a nice ring to it, right? (No, seriously. We’re asking.)
40: Croatia, Away (Nike)
Clearly, Nike has just forgotten to finish checking Croatia’s navy away kit. It’ll look excellent once they’re done with it. They’re going to finish it, right? Right??
“Offsides”: 39-30
39: USA, Home (Nike)
The hype surrounding the United States’ return to the World Cup, this time with a young and exciting squad of budding elites, was prolific enough that the new, rather stark kits, home, in particular, felt like a massive disappointment. With clearer eyes, we can see that USA’s all-white, American football-style jersey has its merits — it’s just not as cool as it could have been.
38: Uruguay, Away (Puma)
Uruguay is a quiet dark horse, in both the Cup and kit realm: much like striker Darwin Núñez, the sky-blue-tinged away kits may seem unassuming, but minute detailing proves there’s more than meets the eye.
37: Moracco, Home (Puma)
The striking red of Portugal Morocco is complimented nicely by a simple tonal green chest stripe. It looks fast, a fitting kit for Africa’s squad of speed demons.
36: Belgium, Away (Adidas)
This is much better from the Belgians, with a clean cut and little pops of fireworks across the Tomorrowland-inspired jersey.
35: Poland, Home (Nike)
Unlike most of the other tonal kits at the 2022 World Cup, Poland’s bold red actually works on account of the correctly proportioned accents. It’s hard to take your eyes off of — perfect for the bold attacking force of a Lewandoski-lead strikeforce.
34: France, Away (Nike)
Sporting an intriguing white graphic that pays homage to French cities like Paris, the 2018 World Cup champion’s kits are nothing to sneer at, but the sheer gravitas of France’s footballing legacy leaves us wanting something more.
33: Ecuador, Home (Marathon)
Ecuador’s main jersey benefits from its unique Chiquita hue and minimalist side striping.
32: Netherlands, Home (Nike)
The Netherlands gets major props for their willingness to take things in a new direction, and while the “laser orange” will never go down in history as an all-time great kit (especially considering that it’s yellow), it’s nice to see a team pushing boundaries in a pool of fairly reserved team jerseys.
31: Ghana, Away (Puma)
Ghana’s away kit works in a way that most flag-centric kits do not, and that’s due to one thing: restraint. The chili red that dominates the kit also serves to highlight the touches of gold and forest that complete the African nation’s flag, as opposed to muddying it.
30: Portugal, Away (Nike)
We’re honestly not sure what to make of this Portugal kit — we think it’s pretty slick, but we’ll have to make our final judgment after we watch Cristiano Ronaldo rocket one into the upper ninety.
“Fair Play”: 29-20
29: USA, Away (Nike)
Another one of those boundary-pushing kits, USA’s away has a unique streetwear feel, and much more importantly, a powerful presence on the pitch. Or maybe that’s just Weston McKinnie dumping the opposition on their asses.
28: Saudi Arabia, Away (Nike)
Reminiscent of Nigeria’s bombastic feathered kit from World Cup 2018, Saudi Arabia’s away incorporates a mass of bold patterning in one shockingly cohesive kit.
27: Portugal, Home (Nike)
The antithesis to Ghana’s subtle flag design, Portugal bashes you over the head with its red-green splice, and we’re not mad at it. Bold, brash — but does not belong in the trash.
26: Morraco, Away (Puma)
One of the few cases where Puma’s plaque actually works, the spiked detailing works with the single stripe on Morraco’s away kit highlighting each player’s number. This is getting good!
25: Croatia, Home (Nike)
Runner-up Croatia’s checked kits captured the hearts of the world (sans the spiteful french, of course) in 2018, and with a fresh adaptation on the white and red squares, they look to repeat the feat.
24: Uruguay, Home (Puma)
No gimmicks, splotches or patterns to sully Uruguay’s timeless home kit — just a solid, sky-blue jersey with a crisp shawl collar and an excess of swagger.
23: Netherlands, Away (Nike)
A particularly clean away jersey, the deadly navy of the Netherlands may just conjure up some surprising results. Some have found faults with Nike’s paneled template, but we don’t mind on a darker kit like this one.
22: Japan, Away (Adidas)
The blocky color is almost always a mistake. Almost. While it skews traditional by Japanese thrilling standards, this swanky away kit still carries enough sleeved intrigue to keep things interesting.
21: Ghana, Home (Puma)
Ghana boasts one of the finest white jerseys in the competition, with ringed cuffs and the Ghanan star that compliment a retro Puma insignia.
20: Spain, Home (Adidas)
Few jerseys are as instantly recognizable as the crimson of La Roja, and with an abundance of three-stripe timings — Spain’s sponsor since 1991 has become synonymous with the red and blue — we can find little fault with the conservative-leaning design.
“Title Contenders”: 19-10
19: South Korea, Home (Nike)
Korea’s tiger kit of last year was a surprise success, and while a fiery red base and tiger stripe sleeves might not seem like the most obvious of combinations, but the Dokkaebi-forward kit delivers as one of Nike’s most creative designs.
18: Australia, Home (Nike)
Will Australia go far in the World Cup? That remains to be seen, but the striking gold of the Soccerroo’s home jersey is a win enough for the great down unda’.
17: Poland, Away (Nike)
Away kits tend to play second fiddle, but Poland’s home takes the cake with its smart eagle shoulder feathering and not-quite-monochromatic tonality.
16: Denmark, Home (Hummel)
Denmark’s kit sponsor, Hummel, has taken a tangible stand with their world cup designs, a sobering reminder of an abundance of documented human rights violations levied against host nation Qatar. “At Hummel, we believe that sport should bring people together, and when it doesn’t, we are eager to speak up and make a statement,” the brand told EPSN in a statement, making the sleek “invisible” kits even more of a powerful statement.
15: Germany, Away (Adidas)
Germany’s away jerseys may more abstract than they’ve been in recent years, but that doesn’t make the red, black and metallic-gradient attire any worse to look at.
14: Senegal, Away, (Puma)
It’s easy to see why both Senegalese kits place so highly on our ranking: incorporating all of the retro Puma fixings and a beautiful green palate, it almost makes the awkward chest plaque forgettable.
13: France, Home (Nike)
Les Bleus’ regal navy kits, touched in Versailles gold, are fit for a king, a design choice that would be incredibly on the nose, if not for the little fact that France is indeed the current champion of the world.
12: Brazil, Home (Nike)
The spirit of A Selecao home kit perfectly captures the joy that Brazil plays with in every game, with a shock of gold and a discrete all-over jaguar print that traverses the entirety of the kit. It’s a quality jersey, from a side favored to take the cup.
11: England, Away (Nike)
Much like South Korea’s home kit, the shock of England’s away is contrasted beautifully by subtle nips of navy and electric blue. It’s reminiscent of the kits England wore in the 1990 World Cup, but enough new through the crest and cut that the nostalgia is heightened, not clouded.
10: Mexico, Home (Adidas)
Mortal rivals with the States or not, El Tri’s shock of green is a winning kit on its worst of days, and the zig-zag Aztec patterning underscores how baller Mexico’s 2022 home kit really is. The only thing that would look more natural would be Rafa Marquez at the heart of Mexico’s wobbly defense.
“The Champions”: 9-1
9: Argentina, Home (Adidas)
Lionel Messi stands at the precipice of soccering greatness, a World Cup win the only thing separating him from the mantle of greatest ever. Luckily for him, Adidas has delivered a GOAT home kit: the Albiceleste’s iconic white and blue stripes are emphasized by touches of three-stripe black.
8: Spain, Away (Adidas)
Real heads might remember the Jabulani ball from South Africa’s 2010 World Cup, and Spain’s patterned away kit inexplicably evokes just such memories. A sky blue base, with red and gold striping, only sweetens what is already one of the tournament’s best kits.
7: Denmark, Away (Hummel)
In line with their stand against human rights violations, the all-black kits are meant “to honor the migrant workers that have died building Qatar’s World Cup stadiums, as well as the families left behind.”
6: Senegal, Home (Puma)
The passion of Senegal won over our hearts, and the old-school Chevron striping won over our aesthetic sensibilities. Fitting that the champions of Africa should have the best kits out of the continent.
5: Japan, Home (Adidas)
Japan’s Adidas-designed kits are known for their outsized impact, and 2022 proves no different. Designed to imitate the traditional Sashiko stitching technique found in kimonos, these lined blue scatter pattern creates what will surely be a kit to remember for the Blue Samurai.
4: Germany, Home (Adidas)
Germany’s golden generation — Ballack, Lahm, and hawkish Klose — donned similar black-striped kits for Euro 2008, and we much prefer the refreshed white base to the solid red of yore. Metallic accents and a parred-back Adidas logo finish off the exceptional jersey.
3: Brazil, Away (Nike)
The creativity of Neymar’s Brazil is on full display with their immaculate away look, a jaguar-sleeved royal blue look that oozes swagger and confidence. It’s a nod to Brazil’s charisma and flair as much as it is to the Amazon Rainforest, and would’ve been Nike’s best design, if not for…
2: South Korea, Away (Nike)
Every World Cup, a handful of kits crop up to become instant classics, and we are positive that Korea’s spattered black away kit is one of them. Splashed with bright strokes of blue, yellow and red, the kit will be remembered for years to come.
1: Mexico, Away (Adidas)
Finally, we crown a champion. Though it faced stiff competition, the preeminence of Mexico’s away kit was never in question: after all, it is a perfect culmination of everything that a jersey should be, especially in a World Cup year. There’s the nod to Mexico’s roots with Aztec prints presenting a flashy graphic underlay, bits of culture woven into the shirt, and above all, a kill white-red colorway that ensures its victory.
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