Nike Launches New Home and Away Kits for 11 National Teams in 2022 World Cup

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup only about two months away, Nike kicked their preparations into high gear this week.

On Thursday, Nike launched new national team kits for 11 countries participating in Qatar, confirming recent leaks for many of them.

The kits use Nike’s new DRI-FIT ADV template, which the company has also used this season for high-profile European club teams it outfits, including Liverpool, FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES

One of the headliners of Thursday’s announcement was the United States, a country that wasn’t included in a big round of leaks earlier in the week. But other rumors had been flying around social media for weeks, and the kits launched Thursday matched those.

The base of the U.S. home shirt is white, with navy blue inserts at the front and back collar that follows the contours of the template. They also have navy blue and red stripes on each arm that are truncated by the template seams.

The USA crest appears in the middle of the chest. In a break from convention, the Nike logo doesn’t appear on the chest; instead, it is placed on each sleeve. The logo on the right sleeve is mirrored so that it appears to move forward.

Nike has used this mirrored logo treatment on NFL jerseys, as well as Paris Saint-Germain’s third kit for the 2021-22 season (seen below).

The away kit is royal blue with a sublimated navy blue ice-dye pattern all over. It also features the national team crest mid-chest and a Nike swoosh on each sleeve. Printed inside the collar of both kits is the motto “STATES UNITED.”

ENGLAND

Details about England’s kits were sparse in Nike’s announcement Thursday; more information is reportedly coming in a separate announcement on September 21.

The home kit is mostly white, with a gradient on the shoulders that fades from navy blue to light blue to white. The sleeve cuffs are navy blue and light blue, and the national team crest appears in full colour on the left chest.

The away kit is mostly red, with a navy blue polo collar trimmed in light blue. An insert at the front of the collar is also navy blue, as are the sleeve cuffs and triangular inserts near the hem. The national team crest is rendered with the three lions in navy blue on top of a light shield with a navy border. The Nike logo on the opposite side of the chest mirrors this, with a light blue swoosh bordered in navy.

🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA

South Korea’s home kit is bright red with a tonal tiger stripe pattern across the shoulders and sleeves “representing strength and power.” It also features a black polo collar and a monochromatic black national team crest.

The away kit features a graphic of blue, red and yellow chalk strokes all over a black base. The pattern “highlights Taegeuk, the symbol found on the Korean flag that represents national pride and balance between heaven (blue) and earth (red).”

🇶🇦 QATAR

From Nike: “The Qatari home kit combines Desert Maroon with white serrated trim to mirror the Qatari flag. The crest on the upper chest highlights Qatar’s host nation status. The away kit evokes the coastline of Qatar while a subtle strong of pearls graphic overlay nods to the history of pearl-diving in the coastal atolls. In motion, the kit is mean to resemble a sandstorm swirling in the arid sun.”

🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA

From Nike: “The 2022 kit evokes Australia’s unique ecosystems. Through University Gold, Tour Yellow and Green Noise, the home kit conjures the rugged, sandy landscape of the Outback and the rich wetlands and forests. The away kit is a homage to the Australian coastlines and teeming ocean. Obsidian and Green Glow represent the marine life and reefs and signal the deep connection between Australians and coastal life.”

🇭🇷 CROATIA

From Nike: “The 2022 Croatian home kit introduces a modern take on the globally recognized checkered pattern that symbolizes Croatian pride. The clean lines of the home kit underline the core Croatian values of family, passion and tradition, while the away kit’s blurred, wavy lines nod to the ebbs and flows of Croatia’s Adriatic coastline.”

🇫🇷 FRANCE

From Nike: “The new French collection celebrates the France Nouveau, or New France—a fusion of the country’s heritage and future. The oak leaf and olive branch pattern [on the sleeve cuff] of the home kit represents strength, solidarity and peace. Classic French design cues include a tricolor insert on the short, a jacquard sock and cuff and gold detailing.”

“The away kit graphic, inspired by French toile de Jouy, is made up of iconic French and Les Bleus imagery like the Cockerel, botanicals, the Arc de Triomphe and Clairefontaine.”

🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS

From Nike: “The 2022 Dutch home kit is unapologetically orange as a nod to Dutch tradition while also using a fresh design language to emphasize the inclusive and internationally-minded mentality of innovators across Dutch sport and culture. A dancing swirl of Orange Peel and Laser Orange evokes the mane of a lion, the historic symbol of the Low Countries, and represents the fluidity of the Total Football tactical system. On the away kit, rich colors and textures continue to tell the story of culture and football constantly influencing each other in the Netherlands.”

🇵🇱 POLAND

From Nike: “The design of the 2022 football kits allows each nation’s unique heritage to be showcased through stunning design details. For Poland’s home kit, intricate sleeve graphics depict the nest and feathers of a white eagle, the feature of the country’s coat of arms, paying homage to the centuries-old symbol of Polish sovereignty and unity. Sport Red and White, Poland’s national colors, celebrate peace and honor.”

🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

From Nike: “Portugal’s 2022 kits signal a new era on the horizon for futebol português. On the home kit, Pepper Red and Gorge Green, with Gold Dart tipping, nods to the Portuguese flag while a diagonal line mimics the flag wrapped around the body. National pride is shown through the crest of the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF) and the esfera armilar, used as a patch on the back collar. The away kit uses Sail White, an off-white tone, to ensure the Portuguese club stands out in a sea of bright white kits.”

🇸🇦 SAUDI ARABIA

From Nike: “The green and white color ways of the 2022 Saudi kit are inspired by the Saudi Arabian flag. The shield of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) features a falcon, or saqr in Arabic which doubles as a multilingual reference to the word soccer. The away kit uses an all-over-print interpretation that builds on concepts from the 2018 and 2020 away kits to evoke a sense of speed and boldness.”

Aside from the countries above, Nike also outfits two other nations that will compete in Qatar: 🇧🇷 Brazil and 🇨🇦 Canada. Brazil’s home and away kits were unveiled in early August.

Thursday’s announcement confirmed that the Canadian team will continue to wear the same kits it has worn for the past year, “as Canada Soccer is on a different kit development cycle.” These kits are based on Nike’s Strike II template, and feature a tonal fingerprint pattern on the sleeves.