Never mind World Cup 2018 - we're all about these steezy vintage kits from World Cups past...
Forget the action on the pitch (OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme!), but one of the great joys of any World Cup are the team’s shirts.
Football kits are big business, and every team wants to look their best (well, if you were performing in front of the whole world you would, wouldn’t you?).
We’ve dug into the World Cup archives to celebrate the most beautiful kits to have blessed the beautiful game…
1. Switzerland 1994 (Goalkeeper)
OK, so this is a divisive opinion to start off with. Some might say that this shirt has more than a passing resemblance to a Wetherspoon’s carpet, but I rate it. Sadly, despite this brazen kit Switzerland didn’t set the world alight at USA ’94, crashing out in the Round of 16. More importantly, the manager? A certain Roy Hodgson.
2. Mexico, 1998
This is undoubtedly one of the wilder kits on the list! Instead of a basic green, the makers of the kit decided to put an Aztec’s face on the front. For a collector of retro kits this is either your dream or your nightmare.
3. Cameroon, 2002
Puma had been making Cameroon’s national kits since 1998, but it was in the 2002 African Cup of Nations that controversy arose. At AFCON 2002, Puma introduced a vest as the new Cameroon kit. Yes, a vest! The team won the tournament and rolled into the 2002 World Cup in South Korea with a quiet sense of optimism. Unfortunately FIFA banned the use of the sleeveless shirts at the tournament, and Puma were sent back to the drawing board. They came back with a deceptively similar design - simply attaching a thin, translucent black cloth in place of sleeves - which passed regulations. The Lions crashed out in the group stage, and one could blame the new design. This memorable kit hasn’t been replicated since, although Puma and Cameroon did attempt to one-up themselves a few years later by introducing a one-piece football kit.
4. Netherlands, 1990
One of the most iconic kits of all time, this Dutch kit was donned by the likes of Gullit, van Basten, Rijkaard and the Koeman brothers. This was the Netherlands first appearance at a World Cup in 12 years, and with them failing to qualify in 2018, will this be the beginning of another period of absence?
5. Brazil, 1970
The shirt of one of the greatest teams of all time, Pele, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto all donned this immaculate shirt. But fellow footie geeks will know that the Brazilian team actually wore two sets of shirts at the 1970 Mexico World Cup. Almost indistinguishable to the eye, Brazil used two different kit manufacturers - remaining loyal to the domestic manufacturer Athleta, and embracing the new, innovative English manufacturer Umbro. To settle the dispute between manufacturers, Brazil wore the Athleta strip in the first half, and the Umbro strip in the second. Diplomacy in action!
6. West Germany, 1990
Another iconic World Cup kit, this West German kit has been recognised as one of the greatest of the modern era. Alongside the natural beauty of it, this kit coincided with one of the saddest moments in World Cup history: Gazza’s tears. The final between West Germany and Argentina has been cited as the most cynical and lowest-quality of all World Cup Finals. Argentina's Pedro Monzon was sent off for a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann, the first player ever to be sent off in a World Cup Final.
7. France, 1998
France were the hosts and eventual winners of the tournament, but the beautiful kit worn by Les Bleus is certainly the greatest achievement for the team in 1998. The wildest story of the ’98 World Cup arose without a ball being kicked. The pre-match build up before the final was dominated by the news that Brazilian striker Ronaldo was to be omitted... only for him to be re-instated 45 minutes before kick-off. And so… the Nike conspiracy. In 1996 Nike had signed a $160 million contract with the Brazilian Football Confederation – the largest ever sponsorship deal with a national team. According to theory, Nike forced the Brazilian to play, despite medical advice that he shouldn't. It later emerged that Ronaldo had suffered a convulsive fit in the hours leading up to the game, and what ensued was a lengthy deliberation between the manger (who didn't want to play him) and Ronaldo, who desperately wanted to be on the pitch. Ronaldo played, and was evidently unfit. France went on to win their first World Cup 3-0.
8. Croatia, 1998
This kit was designed by avant-garde painter Miroslav Sutej, who also designed the Croatian coat of arms and the bank notes for the Croatian Kuna. The chessboard design references the legend surrounding Croatian King Stephen Drzilav who escaped capture thanks to a series of chess matches.
9. Nigeria, 2018
Ok, so this one isn't vinta ge, but we ha d to give it a mention!
At 150/1, Nigeria certainly aren’t favourites to win the World Cup, but they certainly have won the hearts of the football neutral. According to the Nigerian Football Federation, pre-order sales of the replica shirt totalled 3 million. Nike describe the kit as a "subtle homage to Nigeria's '94 shirt, with its eagle wing-inspired black-and-white sleeve and green torso".
Honourable Mentions...
Russia 1982
Serbia 1982
Denmark 1986
Sweden 1990
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