On the 201st anniversary of Costa Rica’s declaration of independence from Spain, football fans in the country had something extra to celebrate.
The Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FCRF) and New Balance launched the national team’s new home and away kits on Thursday, which the men’s team will wear later this year at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The home kit is solid red, with a V-neck collar that is white on the front half. Broad blue sleeve cuffs contain a white vertical stripe bordered in red. The shorts that go with the home kit are blue, with white stripes down the sides.
This shirt template is one that New Balance has used this season for many of the high-profile European club teams it outfits, including Athletic Bilbao, FC Porto and AS Roma.
The away kit swaps the solid red base for white. The V-neck collar remains white on the front half, but the back half is blue. The sleeve cuffs remain the same as on the home kit. The shorts that pair with the away kit are white with blue stripes down the sides.
Both kits feature “FCRF” printed on the back collar in gold. Both also feature the new Costa Rican national team crest, which was introduced in December 2021.
The crest draws inspiration from Costa Rica’s coat of arms, including the shape and the three volcanoes at the top of the crest. The red and blue colour scheme comes from the Costa Rican flag, while the gold border represents “the aim of highlighting the teams as the elite of national football.”
Costa Rica is the only nation outfitted by New Balance that qualified for the 2022 World Cup. They defeated New Zealand in an intercontinental playoff in June 2022 to book their ticket to Qatar.
Costa Rica are in Group E at the World Cup, along with Spain, Japan and Germany. Their first match will be against Spain on Wednesday, November 23, at Al-Thumama Stadium in Al Thumama, Qatar.
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