Denmark Draws Inspiration from 1992 Euro-Winning Squad for 2022 World Cup Kits

Thirty years after their most famous footballing triumph, Denmark’s national football team is hoping some inspiration from that squad will propel the country to victory at this fall’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU) and manufacturer Hummel unveiled new national team kits on Monday morning. All three shirts feature a tonal pattern that mirrors the shirts the Danish men’s national team wore in 1992 when they won the European Championship.

The home kit is red with subtle tonal vertical and diagonal lines down the front. A darker shade of red forms is used for stripes the start under the arms, come to a point on the chest, then run back around the sleeves. More dark red stripes run down the sleeves to the cuff.

This design is lifted directly from the Euro 1992-winning squad’s kits, which were also made by Hummel. That team beat Germany 2-0 in the final, which was held in Gothenburg, Sweden.

*The Danish celebrates their European Championship win in 1992. (Photo courtesy **Optus Sport**)*

“Although the shirt is a remake of the ’92 shirt and marks the 30th anniversary of the (European Championship) triumph, we don’t just want a nostalgic tribute to the old legends,” Hummel CEO Allan Vad Nielsen said on the DBU website (translated to English by Google). “We are going to the (World Cup) with one of the strongest national teams in recent times, and therefore the jersey is also a symbol that it is now that we must create the legends of the future. In 20-30 years, it will hopefully be the current national team players that we remember with the same legendary status as we do with the ’92 team today.”

The V-neck collar on the shirt is red, with subtly darker red trim around the edges. The national team crest and Hummel logo on the chest, along with the Hummel chevrons on the shoulders, are rendered in red, nearly blending in with the rest of the shirt.

Inside the collar, there are two slogans printed: “FOR DANMARK” (“For Denmark”) and “EN DEL AF NOGET STØRRE” (“Part of Something Bigger”).

“We have a goal to gather and excite all of Denmark, and the men’s national team has done this several times in recent years and can do it again at the World Cup in a few months,” says DBU managing director Jakob Jensen. “The new national team shirt emphasizes the great importance of the team and shows today’s stars who will be remembered for their great achievements in 20-30 years. We look forward to seeing the players in the jersey and to cheering them on to victory at the World Cup finals.”

The DBU and Hummel also unveiled a white away kit and a black third kit. Both feature the same tonal patterns and monochrome crests as the home kit.

The black third kit will be the first of the three new kits to see game action when Denmark takes on Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, September 22. The red home jersey will be worn for the first time against France on September 25.

Denmark is in Group D at the World Cup along with France, Australia and Tunisia. Their first march will be against Tunisia on Tuesday, November 22, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

UPDATE (Sept. 28, 2022): On Instagram, Hummel has clarified that the Danish jerseys “send a dual message” of honoring the Danish team from Euro 92 but also protesting against Qatar and its human rights record.

“We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation.”
— @hummelsport / Instagram