Inside the colorful, compelling and controversial jersey designs at the World Cup
Designers turned 11 national kits into tributes to heritage, while FIFA rejected Haiti’s original battle scene as too political.
- On Tuesday, Argentina's World Cup kits blend sporting heritage with artistic expression, honoring past tournament wins from 1978, 1986, and 2022 while Lionel Messi wore the home kit during his hat trick against Algeria.
- Beyond sport, World Cup jerseys reveal profound cultural narratives as the tournament unfolds across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with teams highlighting national history, wildlife, and artistic movements.
- Haiti's initial jersey design featuring an 1803 battle scene was rejected by FIFA as "too political," while Belgium's away kit honors artist Ren Magritte with the collar reading, "This is not a jersey."
- Iran's kits feature the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, with fewer than 70 remaining in the nation, while Brazil's away kit references the Amazon's poison dart frog and Saudi Arabia's jersey celebrates local geometric architecture.
- France's away kit honors the Statue of Liberty, while tournament debutant Cape Verde showcases flight paths uniting its roughly 525,000 inhabitants, helping secure a 0-0 draw against heavily favored Spain in their opening match.
30 Articles
30 Articles
The shirts of the World Cup players will be impregnated with blood, sweat and tears, but also with a much deeper cultural and historical meaning.
Inside the colourful, compelling and controversial jersey designs at the World Cup
There will be blood, sweat and tears on players’ football jerseys at the World Cup - and plenty of deeper cultural and historical meaning, too.Here, The Associated Press runs you through some of the more compelling - and controversial - backstories from the kit designs on show in football's biggest event, currently taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Cape VerdeCape Verde players celebrate after the World Cup Group H soccer match…
Hidden meanings behind eleven of the World Cup’s most eye-catching jerseys – UK Times
Get daily World Cup briefings from our writers across North America – plus more from Inside Sport after the tournament Get our free World Cup briefing and sport email Get our free World Cup briefing and sport email Beyond the visible marks of effort and passion, the football jerseys worn by players at the World Cup carry profound cultural and historical significance. As the globe’s premier sporting event unfolds across the United States, Canada,…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
