The 2022 World Cup wasn’t without controversy. Before Argentina’s heroic victory over France, FIFA was facing fierce criticism for agreeing for the event to be staged in Qatar. Nonetheless, the event proved to be one of the best World Cups in living memory. Sadly, thanks to the controversy surrounding the host nation, other aspects of the tournament barely got a look in. Take team kits as just one example.
This year, the likes of Nike, Puma, and adidas were responsible for dressing competing nations. Those three brands alone accounted for no less than 26 different kits. However, threads from New Balance, Kappa, and Le Coq Sportif could all be seen on the backs of world-famous players. Below, we spotlight five of the best kits from the 2022 World Cup.
1. Mexico
A sport journalist from Oddspedia Alvaro Romeo has selected Mexico’s 2022 Qatar World Cup uniform as one of the best this year. It’s not hard to see why. Mexico’s home shirt takes its inspiration from the national flag, with deep greens and red trims. However, it was Mexico’s away shirt that really shined during the tournament. As well as standing out in vibrant red and white, the Aztec-inspired print makes this team jersey absolutely singular when compared to other kits.
2. South Korea
Although South Korea rarely excel when it comes to the later stages of World Cup competition, they rarely disappoint when it comes to team kits. Many football fans will remember the iconic red shirt design from the 2002 World Cup and Nike has turned to this old-school favourite for inspiration when designing South Korea’s home shirt. However, it’s the away shirt that really stands out, with an eye-popping pattern that sets this apart from just about any other team ensemble out there.
3. Wales
Wales made a welcome return to international football this year. As with Canada, the Dragons decided to go all out with their home and away kits. The team turned to adidas to design their new attire, with patriot red being the order of the day.
4. Canada
The Canadian national team hasn’t been seen at any World Cup since 1986. It’s little wonder then that the Canadians decided to dress for their belated return to international competition. Thanks to Nike, Canada has a team kit to be proud of. In stripped-back white and red, both the home and away kits are incredibly simple. They’re evocative of the team kits of yesteryear. Should Canada qualify again in the future, it’d be nice to see these timeless threads used as inspiration for their next kit design.
5. Denmark
Danish brand Hummel was responsible for creating Denmark’s 2022 World Cup kit. In light of human rights abuses in Qatar, Hummel decided to dial things down a notch, minimising their branding. Nonetheless, the three kit variations we were left with stood out as some of the most stylish on the pitch. Hummel claims to have taken inspiration from Denmark’s 1992 World Cup kit, as a subtle nod to the last time that the Danes walked away with a major tournament victory.