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<\/p>\nIt\u2019s one of the moments when you realise the World Cup is coming up faster than you think: when the first kits are unveiled.<\/p>\n
Adidas has launched its \u2018home\u2019 jerseys for the 2026 tournament, and there is a lot to digest. Not only all 22 shirts, but also the colours, the intricate designs, and, well, just whether they work or not. Of course, some of the teams are yet to confirm their qualification.<\/p>\n
The Athletic will, of course, bring you a further rundown of all the kits when they are released, but for now, our writers have given their verdict \u2014 without squabbling too much \u2014 on Adidas\u2019 offerings.<\/p>\n
Here are the shirts in one, simple picture, and if you have a strong opinion, let us know what you think in the comments\u2026<\/p>\n
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\n From top left: Italy, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sweden, Qatar, Scotland, Venezuela, Hungary, Northern Ireland, Costa Rica, UAE, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ukraine and Wales.<\/p>\n
Carl AnkaFavourite: Mexico<\/strong> \n Roberto Alvarado models the Mexico kit (Adidas)<\/p>\n My favourite is Mexico, which looks to have taken inspiration from their World Cup 1998 shirt and carries an eye-catching Aztec design. The recent push to minimalism in football badges and kits (probably to help with social media and \u201cat a glance\u201d viewing) means we get enough intricate pattern work on kits, so this is refreshing.<\/p>\n The back of the shirt carries the words \u201cSOMOS M\u00c9XICO\u201d, meaning \u201cWe Are M\u00e9xico\u201d \u2013 a fun message for an interesting time for the national team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Adidas has not yet released what the goalkeeper kit will look like, but we look forward to seeing Guillermo Ochoa strut his stuff once again. <\/p>\n Least favourite: Germany<\/strong> \n Florian Wirtz models the Germany kit (Adidas)<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to buck the common consensus here and say the Germany 2026 kit is a misfire. There are kits that catch the eye less (Spain has too much navy blue, making it dull to look at). Some kits have clearly been given the template treatment (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Japan), and there are some kits that are one alteration away from greatness (the three stripes on Argentina\u2019s kit should be gold, rather than black).<\/p>\n Yet Germany feels like a swing-and-a-miss. It\u2019s attempting to take cues from their famous 1988 Euro kit, but the interpretation of the flag has a chevron that doesn\u2019t quite work. Maybe this one will grow on me. Maybe it\u2019ll look better when it is moving, but it doesn\u2019t create the same forboding atmosphere that so many brilliant German kits of the past have done. <\/p>\n Melanie AnzideiFavourite: Argentina<\/strong> \n Messi in the Argentina shirt (Adidas)<\/p>\n What I love about the Argentina kit is what others might hate: its simplicity. The design is a subtle nod to the three World Cups won by the team, with the trio of blue tones found on the kit\u2019s stripes representing a shade from their three championship-winning kits. This jersey is all about heritage. This next World Cup will likely be Lionel Messi\u2019s last. Designing a kit that is rooted in tradition and pays respect to the players who came before him? It feels like the perfect blend of past and present.<\/p>\n My second favorite kit has to be Mexico\u2019s. The Aztec design is simple, yet powerful. The textured fabric only makes the design pop even more. It makes sense that Adidas pulled out all the stops for this home kit, as Mexico is the only host nation the brand represents. Adidas delivered a design that will look beautiful on the pitch, as well as be a hot commodity off it. <\/p>\n I\u2019m already fast-forwarding in my head decades from now: walking through a vintage kit store and seeing this one displayed on the walls as the owner\u2019s prized possession. One they\u2019d never dare sell.<\/p>\n Least favourite: Japan<\/strong> \n Joel Chima Fujita models the Japan kit (Adidas)<\/p>\n Something about this kit just doesn\u2019t sit right with me, and it\u2019s hard to pinpoint why. Simply put, it feels more like a dull design than a clean or classic one. Adidas described the linear details on this jersey as representing the \u201cfamed haze found on the horizon\u201d where sky meets sea in Japan. But the design serves as more of a distraction and leaves me wanting much, much more. <\/p>\n The colour, of course, remains true to Japan\u2019s classic blue shade, which is an easy win. Maybe there\u2019s a silver lining in hoping for a better design for Japan\u2019s away kit?<\/p>\n Matt SlaterFavourite: Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n The temptation is to choose a shirt in a colour I like, but that would defeat the purpose of this incredibly serious exercise. We are not just picking something we might wear on a summer holiday, at a festival, or the gym, oh no \u2014 The Athletic\u2019s most fashionable writers have spent days debating the design concepts, colour choices and clever details on display in these shirts. <\/p>\n So, my favourite, sorry, the best expression of a nation\u2019s football heritage and hopes for the future is\u2026 the Mexico shirt. Which is coincidentally the one I would pick to wear on holiday, at a festival, or in the gym.<\/p>\n Least favourite: Italy<\/strong> \n Riccardo Calafiori in the Italy shirt (Adidas)<\/p>\n If I take the same objective approach to deciding which of these designs has failed to capture the essence of the country in question, I cannot just pick Costa Rica\u2019s shirt because it is bloody awful and reminds me of the curtains in my primary school. If the designers only had \u201cleaves, toucans and smiles in red, blue and pink\u201d to work with, the end result is what it is. <\/p>\n So, the shirt I want to get in the bin is Italy\u2019s. No, \u201ctradition\u201d has not met \u201cinnovation\u201d, Adidas. It looks like several lorries have driven over it, the blue is too light, the four stars are hard to spot, and where is the green, white and red on the sleeves and collar? You had a classic and you\u2019ve New Coked it.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Caoimhe O\u2019NeillFavourite<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are asking me which shirt I want to buy and wear immediately, then the answer is Mexico\u2019s. I am a sucker for a Mexico shirt and always have been. This green machine with the red and white trim is fit and fiery, perfect for the World Cup hosts. The philosophy of \u201clook good, feel good\u201d will not be a problem for anyone wearing it. So this edges it as my favourite.<\/p>\n But I\u2019d like to give special mention to Wales. The Welsh dragon roars in a red that is bold and not bashful. The green and white band around the middle with the word \u201cCymru\u201d (Wales) gently patterned in feels like it was tailored for a World Cup. The hope for Wales now is that they will make it there. This kit deserves it.<\/p>\n \n Brennan Johnson models the Wales kit (John Smith\/FAW \u2013 Adidas)<\/p>\n Least favourite: Costa Rica \n Andy Rojas in the Costa Rica shirt (Adidas)<\/p>\n I guess if I had to pick the one that I\u2019m least sure about, it\u2019s Costa Rica. The jury is definitely still out on that shirt. It is an optical illusion in that I look at it one way and think it\u2019s OK, then I look at it again and change my mind. It certainly wins the award for the brightest and most intriguing colour combo of the set. I look like the meme of the woman doing algebra looking at it because there is so much to decipher between the colours and the pattern. Even if it gets it wrong, at least it is an attempt at something, I suppose.<\/p>\n And just a word on Argentina \u2014 just hear me out. How can it be the frontrunner if it always kind of looks the same? I guess continuity is key and I am not saying it is bad at all. It looks like it belongs in a frame or sat behind the glass at a museum. It is always special, a bit like Lionel Messi, who will likely be wearing it for the last time ever at this World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jordan HalfordFavourite: Germany\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As usual, \u201cDie Weltmarke Mit Den 3 Streifen\u201d save the best for their own. The German Football Association\u2019s decision to allow U.S brand Nike to make Die Mannschaft\u2019s kits<\/a> from 2027 caused uproar in Germany, but Adidas\u2019 parting gift is unsurprisingly a stunner.<\/p>\n Evoking memories of that famous Italia \u201990 strip, alongside a similar pattern to the 2014 World Cup-winning shirt, Julian Nagelsmann\u2019s side will again look the part in 2026, correctly paired with black shorts and white socks after recent tournaments that saw them in an unfamiliar all white.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/9_ROBERTO-ALVARADO_1594-1-e1762364934125.jpg\")
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