Adidas has launched a flurry of official releases, unveiling 2022 World Cup kits for Argentina, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Spain.
Although we’ve already seen most of these shirts via various leaks, the official release gives us a really clear first look at the new looks. Let’s dive in:
Argentina Away Shirt World Cup 2022
The Argentina home shirt was unveiled in July and is a great adaptation of their classic striped design. The exterior is dark blue with light purple/lavender accents – almost giving off a slight Real Madrid vibe with the colors. The single-tone silver treatment on the logo(s) is interesting and a nice counterpoint to the mostly monotonous shirt. Taking up much of the bottom half of the shirt, a pattern appears to be an abstract interpretation of the wavy sunbeams of the Argentinian flag, but it ended up looking like blue flames (now that I think about it, it reminds me of a certain blue haired disney villain).
Rating: C
It’s an interesting idea, but nothing really special.
Germany Home & Away World Cup 2022 Shirts
Germany’s home and away set looks pretty sharp. I was a little lukewarm on the white house with the large central stripe seeing the leaks, but it pushed me and the official photos make a stronger impression. It’s a simple yet bold jersey that still looks like Germany but will stand out from the sea of other white jerseys in the tournament. The exterior shines though, with a very cool pattern that appears to be based on the DFB triangles of the German FA logo. The leaks seemed a bit more on the purple side, but the dark red really looks clean against the darker base color, and the gold accents set it all off.
Grade: B+
A solid set where each shirt acts as a sort of counterpoint to the other. The exterior pulls most of the weight, but the house has the potential to become a classic look.
Japan Home & Away World Cup 2022 Shirts
Japan’s new home and away kits are totally in line with the “take inspiration from something from the national culture and run with it” approach. The origami graphic design on the home jersey is outstanding – it’s clearly there but it’s not too much in your face with literal origami cranes or anything like that. On whites, the design is rendered with a vibrant two-tone visual, like looking at an old red/blue 3D image without the glasses. The effect against the white base color almost looks like pink cherry blossoms falling from afar. Really solid stuff.
Rating: A
Japan are strong contenders for the best overall home/away pair this year. Each shirt shares the same theme, but each has its own distinct flavor.
Mexico Away Shirt World Cup 2022
This one is getting rave reviews on social media, and for good reason. The ornate Aztec Feathered Serpent pattern on the shirt is terrific, and the (mostly) one red color treatment works really well and sets the shirt apart from the green house. Not much to see negative here, except that I’m still not sold on this new badge (do a snake-style eagle and bullet patch on the shirt, please guys). The Mexico away kit is a beauty, even better than the Mexico home kit.
Rating: A-
The combination of great design and a smart, limited color palette makes this a real winner for El Tri.
Spain Home & Away World Cup 2022 Shirts
Spain combines a relatively understated domestic look with a downright funky top on the outside – and it works! The house is clean and stylish – no fancy extras or wacky designs, just the simple dark red base, gold logos and dark blue trim (with a cute flag pattern on the collar). With the full name and number added and the traditional blue shorts, this one will look super sharp. And the away is one of my absolute favorite designs from any team so far this year. The wavy light blue design is super cool and pairs really well with the Spanish red and gold accents. It’s wild, but just wild enough.
Rating: A
Spain-worthy high-end and an incredibly striking and fun option on the outside are sure to put them at the top of Qatar’s best-dressed list this fall.
Overall, Adidas released a strong crop of new designs for some of the tournament’s biggest teams. Which of the Adidas World Cup 2022 jerseys is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below.
Browse the full collection of official World Cup kits for Qatar 2022.
