Complete Guide to 2018 World Cup Kits

Written by Michael Olson (Return to Kits Homepage for the 2018 World Cup)

You’ve read the history and know the rules. Now, lets talk about the kits. In this World Cup, almost every kit has a story. Brands no longer worry about the quality of the kits. That’s under control. They’ve shifted their focus to what Maradona talked about. In his eyes, players are, “giving everything for the shirt,” [3] and for that reason, kits aren’t just clothes. They embody a team and a nation. They are an identity.

Who’s making the kits?

Most of the behind the scenes designing and creating was controlled by two familiar faces: Nike and Adidas. They made over half of all the 2018 kits. New Balance and Puma made a few as well, but aren’t nearly as prominent. [1] (Check out the graphic below made by footyheadlines.com to see the full breakdown.)

In a way, the brands mesh very well with the teams that they partner with. Powerful World Cup teams go to the most powerful brands. It’s no surprise that Spain, Germany, and Argentina are with Adidas. Or that Brazil, England, France, and Portugal are with Nike. The same goes for less known teams and smaller brands like Costa Rica and Panama going with New Balance.

This graphic shows the breakdown of each team and their kit producer. Adidas and Nike have a strong foothold on most popular teams. Smaller companies turn to smaller nations for kits. [1]

What do they look like? What do they stand for?

Like I was saying earlier, each brand works to create a kit that means something. It’s not just a kit, it’s a story. I wanted to unearth these stories so I read about each team. I’ll be honest. It was a lot of reading. By the end, I found that every jersey has some special element. A quote, a design, or some memorabilia is always worked in. There are no exceptions to this statement. With all of this research, I put together a guide for the group stage. For each group, I highlighted teams with particularly interesting kits and backgrounds. (I also threw in my opinion about a couple kits, it was hard to resist.) Give it read, I’m sure you’ll learn something. (To view pictures of every kit in this World Cup, follow this link.) [2]

Group A

• Russia: Their home kit (red top, white shorts) is based off the 1988 USSR kit.
• Uruguay: The inside of their kit shows the hashtag: #ELEQUIPOQUENOSUNE. This translates to, “The team who unites us.”

Group B

• Portugal: These kits are meant to be classy and stem from the 2016 Euro victory. The inside collar takes pride in the country’s naval history.
• Spain: Kits are inspired by their 1994 World Cup jersey and embrace a bold yellow and blue diamond pattern. (It is certainly bold.)

Group C

• France: The sentence, “Nos differences nous unissent” is printed on the inside of the shirt. (This translates to: our differences unite us).

Group D

• Argentina: Their kit is based off of their 1993 Copa America shirt. This was their last major win. Maybe Messi can finally bring them back to glory?
• Iceland: Not only is the Icelandic kit made by a local company (which is just awesome), but it’s rich in meaning. The reds represent fire that keeps Iceland’s heart warm, and the blues portray slowly melting ice that turns into water.
• Nigeria: This kit stems from their 1994 World Cup jersey. Honestly, I think it looks like a mess.

Group E

• Costa Rica: This kit was released under the campaign, “Declare your DNA.” The shirts have small designs to look like DNA.

Group F

• Germany: Their 1990s designs are reimagined in this kit. (This is my favorite one in this World Cup.)

Group G

• Panama: The slogan, “Alcanzamos por fin la victoria” is printed on the inside of the shirt. (This translates to: in the end, we reach the victory. This is part of Panama’s national anthem).
• England: The most classic, the most consistent, and the most boring kit in this World Cup.

Group H

• Japan: Their kit is inspired by traditional samurai armor. I think that says enough.

What do people think about them?

You don’t have to look far to find an opinion on this topic. I think Germany’s jersey is the best one, but others certainly have more history and far different designs. Independent conducted a survey in the article, World Cup 2018 kits: Every home and away shirt rated – and your shock favourite revealed and found different results. The Mirror released an article, World Cup 2018 kit power rankings so far – rating the strips we’ll see in Russia this summer, as well, and found different results from those. Do you have a favorite kit? Disagree with my favorite? Comment below about which group’s kits you’re most excited about seeing.

Return to Kits Homepage for the 2018 World Cup

 

Bibliography

[1] “2018 World Cup Kit Overview – All 2018 World Cup Jerseys.” Footy Headlines. March 25, 2018. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.footyheadlines.com/2017/07/2018-world-cup-kit-overview.html.

[2] Kelly, Ryan. “World Cup 2018 Kits: England, Brazil, Germany & What All the Teams Will Wear in Russia.” Goal.com. March 23, 2018. Accessed April 05, 2018. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/world-cup-2018-kits-england-brazil-germany-what-all-the/1zltef5ik3nn1wo5ziqqqy99m.

[3] “The Evolution of the Soccer Uniform.” The Athletic Shop. September 15, 2016. Accessed March 29, 2018. http://theathleticshop.com/evolution-soccer-uniform/.

[4] Rose, Martin, NIKE, Adidas, and Nike. “World Cup 2018 Kit Power Rankings.” Mirror. March 21, 2018. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/new-world-cup-2018-kits-11986218.

[5] Brown, Luke. “World Cup 2018 Kits: Every Home and Away Shirt Rated – and Your Shock Favourite Revealed.” The Independent. March 30, 2018. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/world-cup-kits-2018-jerseys-all-new-adidas-nike-home-away-vote-rated-ranked-a8277211.html.

 

How to cite this article:

“Complete Guide to 2018 World Cup Kits,” Written by Michael Olson (2018). World Cup 2018 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/mens-world-cup-2018-guide/gear/kits/complete-guide-to-2018-world-cup-kits/ (accessed on (date)).