World Cup 2026 is still a way off, but I'm already thinking about the shirts. Not the groups, not the fixtures — the kits. That's just how my brain works.
And honestly? I've got a wishlist. Some of it is realistic. Some of it is me shouting into the void. But if kit designers are reading, here's what I actually want from the tournament.
Stop playing it safe with templates
Nothing kills a World Cup kit launch faster than seeing the same template in twelve different colourways. You know the one. Same collar, same side panel, same everything — just swap the badge and the shade of red.
I get it. Big brands have to crank out thirty-plus kits in a short window. But the World Cup is the one time you can go a bit weird. Remember when Nigeria rolled up in 2018 with that chevron pattern? People lost their minds. It was different. It felt like it was made for them.
That's the energy I want. Not another identikit Nike or adidas body with a different flag on the sleeve.
Give me asymmetric designs. Give me patterns that mean something. Give me a shirt that makes me look twice even if I don't support the team.
Please, more proper collars
I know this is a niche gripe. But a collar can make or break a shirt. France's 1998 kit? The collar was part of the magic. Argentina's 1986 shirt? Simple polo collar, iconic.
Now everything is a crew neck or a weird V-neck that looks like a school jumper. Boring.
I'm not saying every kit needs a collar. But when a team has a classic shirt in its history, bringing back a proper fold-over collar would be a gift to fans. And I'd buy one immediately.
Maybe I'm alone here. But I don't think I am.
Goalkeeper kits deserve better
This is my fresh angle for this post, and I'll die on this hill. Goalkeeper shirts are treated like an afterthought. Oh, here's a plain green one. Or a plain grey one. Sometimes with a bit of weird padding on the elbows.
But some of the best kits ever made were keeper shirts. Mexico's 1994 keeper kit? A masterpiece. Jorge Campos designed his own and they were wild. That's the spirit.
If I'm a kid watching the World Cup, I want to pretend I'm the keeper making a save. That's hard to do when the shirt looks like a training bib. Give keepers some love. Stripes, patterns, loud colours — I don't care. Just make it interesting.
Affordable versions that don't feel cheap
Here's the thing about World Cup shirts: they're expensive. Like, really expensive. And I'm not just talking about the authentic player versions — even the stadium shirts are creeping up.
So I've been looking at alternative sites. And I found one that does player version shirts for a fraction of the price. LISIMKE has the Player Version 26/27 Scotland Away Orange with Purple Pinstripe Jersey Soccer Football for $24.99.
That's less than a match ticket. And it's not just a basic replica — it's the player version cut. Slimmer fit. Lighter fabric. The pinstripes look sharp in orange and purple. I'm not saying it's for everyone. But if you want a World Cup 2026 shirt without remortgaging your house, it's worth a look.
And Scotland away shirts are usually pretty good anyway. Remember the pink one from a few years back? That was a cult classic. This orange and purple thing is a different vibe, but I like it.
Fewer retro remakes, more new classics
I love a good retro remake. But we're drowning in them. Every other kit launch is a '90s throwback. And half the time the remake doesn't even get the details right.
What I want from World Cup 2026 is new shirts that will be remembered in twenty years. Not just reissues of shirts from when I was a kid.
That means taking risks. Bold patterns. Unusual colour combos. A shirt that makes you go 'what were they thinking?' — and then you buy it anyway.
Because the best kits are the ones that feel like they couldn't exist at any other time. France 98. Nigeria 2018. Mexico 1998. Those shirts are time capsules.
I want 2026 to have its own time capsules. Not another rehash.
What I'll actually be watching for
When the World Cup 2026 kits start leaking — and they will, they always do — I'll be looking for three things. Does it look like it was designed for that specific country? Would I wear it even if I didn't support them? And can I afford it?
If the answer to the first two is yes, I'm probably in. And if the price is right, even better.
That's what fans want. Not templates. Not safe. Just shirts with a bit of soul. And maybe a collar.
