Call it the kit, strip or uniform, but the jerseys worn by soccer teams are a classic part of sporting iconography — and never more so than when footballers are decked out to represent their countries on the world stage.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup almost upon us, taking place June 11 to July 19 in Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada (including plenty of games in Toronto), a raft of new jersey designs for the men’s tournament have been unveiled.
Co-host nation Canada’s own kit, designed by Nike, includes a red home jersey and a black shirt for away games. The red kit is a tribute to the one Canadian hockey players wore during the legendary 1972 Summit Series with the then-Soviet Union, while the black away jersey features a true North-inspired “frost” pattern inspired by black ice.
Both designs feature a “lucky loonie” design on the inside collar, and the shirts are made of recycled fabric. The jerseys are available to shop online.
Despite the thoughtful design rationale, the kit is proving as divisive as Canada’s most recent Winter Olympic kit designed by Lululemon.
There have been enthusiastic reactions: On the official Soccer Canada Instagram post, commenters thought the jerseys looked “tough” and “fire,” with the black kit — a colourway first introduced at the 2022 FIFA World Cup — seemingly a fan favourite. Midfielder Richie Laryea told CBC that the players got “very excited” when they saw the black away shirt.
But the same shirt’s white-outlined maple leaves and haphazard splashes were likened to crime scene chalk or the illegal substance trafficked by Ryan Wedding by some Reddit commenters; other choice descriptions included “horrid” and “garbage.” Some thought the tonal-red maple leaf design under the arms of the home kit looked like “sweat stains.”
With that mixed reaction in mind, let’s rank the world’s FIFA 2026 jerseys from best to the style equivalent of permanent relegation.
1. Mexico
Visually striking in rich shades of green, the home jersey of this co-host nation is the David Beckham — or rather Hugo Sánchez — of the 2026 World Cup kits. The Adidas design packs both an esthetic and symbolic punch: The bold graphic pattern pays homage to the kit Mexico wore in 1998, featuring a modern take on the original Aztec-influenced motif. Its proud and intentional design feels tailor-made for this moment.
2. Curaçao
This away shirt is eye-catching for its on-trend butter yellow background, but takes things up a notch with its retro coloured shoulder stripes and minimalist design from Adidas. If the barometer for success is “I’d totally wear this to brunch after the World Cup is over,” the Blue Wave, as this Caribbean island nation’s soccer squad is known, takes the cup with ease.
3. Jamaica
Even though Jamaica didn’t qualify for a spot at the tournament, its kit was released and it’s a good one. Designed in collaboration with the Bob Marley Foundation by Adidas, Jamaica’s kit is a study in how to do respectful homage, not hokey pastiche. The yellow home jersey features a weave pattern that nods to the crochet hats the reggae star was known to wear. The away jersey is just as striking in black overlaid with vinyl record references in the red, green and yellow of the Rastafarian flag.
4. Japan
Equal parts old-school baseball jersey and something your coolest friend who only shops Japanese vintage would wear, the Samurai Blue’s kit by Adidas is another standout this year. No detail on this shirt is accidental: Each of the eleven colours represents a player on the team, with a central unifying red stripe that symbolizes Japanese football fans.
5. Costa Rica
While Costa Rica failed to qualify for a spot in the tournament, their pre-released kits are still in contention for best dressed. You’ll either love or hate the bold design from Adidas, inspired by the island’s “Pura Vida” spirit and lush tropical landscape. Personally, we’re sold on the hidden toucan and blue-and-pink palette. Is it vaguely chintz curtain-esque? Yes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
6. Canada
Despite the fury in some comments sections discussing these jerseys, we’d argue the designs are more yawn-worthy than outrageous. A maple leaf motif for Canadian soccer? Groundbreaking. And it is hard to unsee the sweat stain thing once it’s pointed out to you.
7. Argentina
While the home strip is a classic — bold stripes in that signature azure blue — Argentina’s away jersey by Adidas feels fussy and oddly Baroque-inspired. Are those swirly lines flames? Stylized wind gusts? Whatever they were going for, it just doesn’t land.
8. Belgium
Points for trying something different, but the Belgian kit by Adidas is oddly cartoonish for such a significant sporting moment. The spherical surrealism-influenced pattern reads more 1996 mouse pad, less potential world champion gear.
9. U.S.A.
This kit has a great backstory: The players hated their 2022 World Cup uniforms so much that they were given direct input into the Nike design for 2026. Alas, the result screams “too many cooks in the kitchen.” The boldly striped home kit looks like Waldo’s favourite workout top, while the stars on the dark-blue away jersey are so subtle they’re only visible up close.
10. Iceland
Iceland did not qualify for the 2026 world cup, which is fitting because we’ve seen more effort put into matching shirts for a family reunion. There’s intentional simplicity, and then there’s the “drag and drop the logo onto a Hanes blank” jersey by Puma for the Icelandic squad.
Correction – March 24, 2026
This article was updated from a previous version to note that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place June 11 to July 19 in Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada.
