Many people were quick to praise the surprises, mock the shockers, and draw comparisons between this year’s assortment and those from previous World Cups during the frenzy that followed the announcement of the 2022 World Cup jerseys. But which nation sending the best World Cup gear to Qatar this winter?
With our brand-new weekly series, in which we examine each national team’s best jersey worn on the grandest of stages, we aim to provide an answer to that very question.
Qatar: 2022 Home
This one is simple. Since Qatar is competing in its first World Cup this year, one of two options can be its best-ever uniform. Between the home and away uniforms, the “Desert Maroon” colour scheme on the home uniform, as well as the central crest that rests above the Nike Swoosh, make a strong statement. Overall, it’s a fantastic debut that almost makes us forget about the turmoil involving the host country and the approaching competition.
Netherlands: 1978 Home
The Netherlands is without a doubt the most challenging task in this group, but Qatar offered the most straightforward response. The Oranje not only has by far the most World Cup appearances in Group A, but they also have a vast collection of iconic uniforms from their past. There isn’t really a bad response because practically every Netherlands home kit does the job. However, the best years were between 1998, 1990, and 1978.
The Nike template from 1998 could have been launched yesterday because it has aged virtually perfectly, while the adidas templates from 1990 and 1978 are both equally crisp. The 1978 design stood out from the competition due to its classic simplicity, which included a round neck collar, black shoulder stripes that matched the big logo, and an orange foundation. It also didn’t hurt that Johann Cruyff almost single-handedly brought his club a World Cup victory while wearing this jersey.
Senegal: 2002 Home
Senegal has played in only a handful of World Cups, despite having the best chances of any African country to win the event in 2022. It will only be taking part for the third time overall; the prior two were in 2002 and 2018. The Lions of Teranga will want to build on their previous performance, in which they failed to get through their group, and instead repeat their first-round semi-final performance.
