Eight teams will arrive to North Texas this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and for the beautiful game’s equally beautiful (and biggest) runway.
For many, the main event will be what the players do on the field as opposed to what they do it in.
But to overlook what the players wear would look past some of the biggest parts of the tournament, with the kits nodding to each team's cultural heritage as much as they do to the big business of soccer. Team England’s Nike jerseys are a part of a more than $500 million deal between the brand and the team.
The Netherlands, England and Croatia will be dressed by Nike; Japan, Sweden and Argentina by Adidas; Austria by Puma; and Jordan by Kelme.
Here’s what they’ll be wearing.
Netherlands
While the orange army will be coloring the stands and streets in a bright, unmissable hue, the team’s players will be wearing a more understated look. With a white base and orange accents, the 2026 World Cup kit is much sleeker than their 2022 World Cup look, which had a blue base with black and orange accents.
Their 2022 look carried the Oranje to the quarter finals before they lost a penalty shootout to Argentina. Whether this modern look will carry them further this year remains to be seen.
Japan
If the Netherlands vs. Japan game was based on style alone, Japan would probably win.
The design looks like a retro baseball jersey. It was created around the concept 'Colors Beyond the Horizon' with a white base and 12 vertical stripes in different colors. Eleven of the stripes represent the number of players on the field each match. The last stripe honors the last member of team’s family: the fans.
Some are saying this away kit is an instant classic.
England
England will be sporting a tricolor design with a red base for their away games — as is generally tradition — complimented with navy and white accents. But there’s a bit more than meets the eye with this one.
Woven into the kit’s fabric is a design that includes St. George’s flag and the Three Lions, a centuries-old emblem of the English team meant to represent the royal family. Printed onto the neck inside of the shirt are the words ‘happy and glorious,’ lyrics from the country’s national anthem.
Above the team’s badge is a gold star, honoring England's singular World Cup win in 1966. Perhaps this year’s tournament will present an opportunity for them to stitch yet another star.
Croatia
Team Croatia’s jerseys have a blue base with a chequerboard pattern lining the sides, harkening back to the team’s 1998 design. That was their first year playing in the World Cup, and they finished in third place with Davor Šuker earning the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.
Nike says this year’s reimagining of that jersey both honors that history while also giving the team a future-looking orientation.
This design also marks the conclusion of their 26-year deal with Nike. After this tournament, Croatia’s jerseys will be designed by Adidas.
Argentina
Designing Argentina’s jerseys for this year’s tournament was no small task.
With the looming possibility of it being star player Lionel Messi’s final World Cup, this jersey could become a cultural artifact for Argentina.
The away jersey has a black base decorated with deep blue swirls throughout, which draw on the fileteado writing style popular in Buenos Aires.
Austria
The front of the Austrian away jersey features a green and pink marble pattern on a white base. On top of that design are geometric golden arches. The back side, however, is much simpler with a solid white base and ‘Oesterreich’ stretched across the neck.
The design is meant to highlight the Kaffeehaus culture where the country’s early soccer pioneers theorized new match strategies in the early 20th century.
The jersey comes in a long line of Puma-designed kits for Austria, with their partnership recently passing the half-century mark.
Sweden
Team Sweden took an unconventional route qualifying for the World Cup this summer. Against all odds, though, the players will still be able to rock their Adidas kits at the tournament this summer.
In fact, they'll arrive to Dallas with a 1970s, retro flare. The team's away jerseys have a blue base decorated with light blue details and yellow accents. On the back of the neck says 'Sverige,' which means Sweden in Swedish.
Jordan
This year's World Cup marks Jordan's debut at the tournament. It comes decades after their first qualifying campaign in 1986.
The team's away kits have a simple red base with a red and white pattern on each sleeve — an inversion of their home kits. The pattern pays homage to the Jordanian shemagh, a traditional headscarf worn in the country.
