The World Cup is less than three months away, and most of us are only interested in one thing.
No, not England’s performance, which will comprise a stop-start display in the group stages, a narrow second-place finish behind Belgium and a second-round exit at the hands of a Robert Lewandowski-inspired Poland.
Not even the displays of host nation Russia, who will win their group and controversially eliminate Spain in round two before falling at the hands of France in the quarter-finals.
Nope, the one thing we care about more than anything else is the kits. The glorious, iconic kits which will ensure the tournament lives long in the memory.
But why?
Well, international tournaments are defined by three things: goals, mascots and clothing.
For every fan whose fondest memory of a tournament is Ciao or Naranjito, there will be another who will have a visceral reaction to Peru’s sash-adorned kit or wonder what could have been had FIFA not decided to ban Cameroon’s sleeveless shirts in 2002.
Many of the nations travelling to Russia this summer have now confirmed what they will be wearing for the tournament, and we’ve put them all in one place for you. Because we’re nice like that.
We’ll be updating this article as more and more national teams unveil their 2018 kits, until we’ve got all 32 covered.
Russia
The hosts’ white adidas kit avoid the minimalism of the past, incorporating a showy silver print which would look great in shots of Russia’s players lifting the trophy, though the red and white first-choice kit has a classy simplicity. Over to you, Alan Dzagoev and co.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Uruguay
2010’s fourth-placed team have gone minimalist with their away kit, all white with a sky blue collar, while the Puma-manufactured home kit takes the sun pattern from the country’s flag and puts it on a traditional all-blue shirt.
Available from eu.puma.com
Spain
The 2010 World Cup winners have traditionally gone with red for their home kits, and the current effort has a retro flavour, but there’s room for manoeuvre with the change strip. After 2014’s black and green number, adidas have included more red this time around, albeit on a lighter background.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Portugal
There’s no need to change a winning formula, so the reigning European champions have decided to stick with their classic Nike red for the home kit. The reverse is white, though, rather than 2016’s green – there’s no suggestion that this is anything to do with tricking Cristiano Ronaldo into thinking he’s playing for Real Madrid in an effort to get more goals out of him.
Available from nike.com
France
Blue-on-blue for Les Bleus first-choice kit, with a subtly patterned white shirt for the kit-clash games. France’s football will do the talking, but you bet Mbappe, Dembele, Pogba, Griezmann et al (yeah, that’s a strong team) will look stylish doing it.
Not available yet
Argentina
Alongside the traditional blue-and-white of the home kit, Argentina’s adidas reverse kit includes a sliver of those same two colours creeping out from under the sleeves of the mostly black number.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Iceland
Sticking with Errea after their Euro 16 giantkilling exploits, Iceland are faithful to the blue, white and red of the country’s flag. Will we see another shock result from the smallest country to make the World Cup?
Available from en.errea.com
Nigeria
The first African nation to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Nigeria recall their 1996 Olympic champions with a retro Nike kit. Alex Iwobi and his teammates will hope it inspires them to escape one of the tournament’s toughest groups.
Not available yet
Brazil
Brazil will always be among the favourites for any World Cup, and their kits will always be among the most recognisable. It’s yellow at home and blue away, as with their combos for their tournament victories of the past.
Available from nike.com
Switzerland
The Swiss reverse strip is one of the many minimalist white offerings from Puma, while the home kit is read with a subtle pattern on the upper chest. The badge is a big plus, too. No, that joke will never get old.
Available from eu.puma.com
Serbia
So far we’ve just got the away kit from Serbia, but it’s a tasty one. The red, white and blue Serbian flag makes a vertical line down the middle which is very striking indeed. Aleksandar Mitrovic and his teammates will hope they can do it justice.
Not available yet
Germany
Die Mannschaft have gone retro, with shades of 1990 in the first-choice kit and a return to blueish-green for the change strip. An eventual meeting with England could see the green adidas number get an airing out of necessity rather than choice.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Mexico
Another adidas design, Mexico’s away kit takes its inspiration from the country’s green, white and red flag with stripes across the chest. As for the home kit? Green steals the show, as it has done for World Cups past.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Sweden
Group F is almost exclusively Group adidas, and includes a deeper blue than Sweden have used in the past for their reverse strips. The home kit, like an early Coldplay concert, is almost all yellow.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Belgium
The top seeds in Group G have made yellow front-and-centre of their away kit, manufactured by adidas, after the more multi-coloured effort from Euro 2016. Instead, it’s the home kit which has more going on, adding yellow checks to a red background.
Available from adidas.co.uk
England
Gareth Southgate’s team are going back to basics, with white for home and red for away, getting rid of Nike’s different-coloured sleeves which we saw at the Euros and opting for an almost-monochrome look, save for a subtle trim.
Available from englandstore.com
Senegal
One of Senegal’s Puma kits is white, like many of the others, but there’s a great deal more going on with a creative pattern on the chest. We’re still waiting for the other offering.
Not available yet
Colombia
Colombia’s home adidas kit blends the yellow, blue and red of the country’s flag, while their reverse strip adds a summery orange tint to their blue shirt, a move away from 2014’s red number.
Available from adidas.co.uk
Japan
Shinji Okazaki and his teammates will be donning an ambitious patterned home kit, away from the plainer dark blue efforts of the past, while their change strip is a more minimalist white-grey effort which adidas says draws from Japan’s streetwear scene.
Available from adidas.co.uk
(Images: adidas)
Latest
Related Reviews and Shortlists
