Best and worst World Cup jerseys: Where do South Korea, France and Mexico rank?

• World Cup kits are a fashion statement that celebrate a team's history and culture.
• Major brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma dominate the kit designs for the expanded 48-team tournament.

An element of the World Cup that outlives every tournament is the kits. They aren't just uniforms for a team to put their blood, sweat and tears into. They are a fashion statement that evokes nostalgia and inspires creativity.

Nike and Adidas continue to be the giants in the World Cup kit space, but Puma has taken its fair share of the market and it's always fun to learn about other brands like Saeta. The Colombian brand is the official outfitter for Haiti and their original design was reportedly rejected by FIFA because of political imagery.

The uniforms are an opportunity for each team to celebrate its sporting history and honor its nation's culture. There is always a play of classic and modern, safe and edgy.

There is a record 48 teams in this year's tournament due to an expanded field. That means there were more than 100 kits to go through. We made our choices based on originality, storytelling and design execution.

Here are the worst and best kits of the 2026 World Cup:

5 Ugliest World Cup kits of 2026

5. England

England went traditional with a white home kit and added a little texture. The bright red away kit has a subtle graphic design that features "ENG" and a lion from the crest. It's trying too hard to be modern and trendy, exactly the opposite of what a storied side like the Three Lions should look like.

Maker: Nike

4. Switzerland

Get your sunglasses because you're going to need them to watch Switzerland play. Their home jersey is fine, a red base with a swirl design. But the away kit is ... ouch! A neon yellow that will be too hard on the eyes.

Maker: Puma

3. Turkey

Turkey dropped the ball. The key design element of both their home and away kits is this glaring red stripe across the chest. It's clunky and awkward.

Maker: Nike

2. Canada

Canada is one of the co-hosts of the World Cup and needs to impress. Their home kit is red, which makes sense and the angles of the maple leaf on the front add dimension. The third kit is basically the white version of the home jersey. But the black away kit is just cringey. The white paint splatters look messy.

Maker: Nike

1. Belgium

The Red Devils' home kit is solid with a red base and a faint pattern. But the away kit is not good. The light blue backdrop with bubblegum pink stripes and bubbles is supposed to pay homage to surrealist artist René Magritte. But it reads more like a gender reveal and not like a national team who is preparing for fierce battle in the World Cup where they finished third in 2018.

Maker: Adidas

11 Best World Cup kits of 2026

11. Japan

Japan's World Cup kits celebrate the country well. The away jersey is simple yet strong with a white base and colorful straight lines representing the 11 players on the pitch and the 12th man, the fans. The navy home kit has a series of lines at the chest that create a rising sun motif. It is visually appealing and sure to inspire national pride.

Maker: Adidas

10. Croatia

This is how you modernize a classic look. Croatia's kit features the country's signature checkerboard from 1990 and modernizes it with a bit of distortion. A white panel on the front adds dimension. And the design looks equally good in the red and white home kit and blue and black away jersey.

Maker: Nike

9. Norway

Everyone is talking about Norway because of their epic Viking photoshoot, and also because of their amazing team photo. The details of the home kit is what makes this so great. The symmetry and alignment is elite. Sometimes copying and pasting a country's flag onto a kit can feel boring and lazy. But definitely not here. And the all-black away look fierce.

Maker: Nike

8. Australia

Australia gets a solid nod of approval for their World Cup kits. The home jersey embraces the country's gold and green, which creates a sense of nostalgia and national pride. The coral and teal away kit represents Australia's beautiful sunrises and is just artsy enough.

Maker: Nike

7. Germany

Adidas is sending Germany off strong in its grand finale for the partnership that is as classic as bread and butter. This is another country who has a good blend of tradition and modern design sensibilities for the World Cup. The home kit is an homage to the 1990 World Cup uniform, which West Germany wore to win the tournament and is arguably one of the best jerseys in the competition's history. The away jersey subtly utilizes the signature diamonds in a cool navy and teal colorway.

Maker: Adidas

6. Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast will look fresh in their return to the World Cup. Their orange home kit is a little on the bright side, but their away jersey is pretty awesome. The white base allows for an intricate design of palm trees in green and orange. The more you look at it, the more fascinating it is.

Maker: Puma

5. Mexico

Mexico did a really good job of storytelling between their three kits. The green home kit is a rich green color and has a cool Aztec pattern with red stripes on the neck and sleeves. It harkens back to El Tri's 1998 World Cup jersey. The away uniform features a white base with a subtle triangle pattern and red and black accents. The black third kit, which also has a geometric print, is incredible as well. Take your pick, you automatically know each kit represents Mexico.

Maker: Adidas

4. Austria

Austria's red home kit is pretty basic, but they went really creative with their away kit. It has a tie-die base of mint and lavender and a gold pattern on top. What could have easily gone 90s Jazz paper cup is actually more along the lines of the Japanese artform of Kintsugi where broken pottery is fixed with gold lining. This is a masterpiece.

Maker: Puma

3. Ghana

Sorry, I'm not home right now. I'm walking in the spiderwebs of Ghana's fantastic home kit. The design pays homage to Kwaku Ananse, a spider-like figure and trickster in West African folklore. The bold black star creates a clear focus. The bright yellow away kit is also striking and exudes confidence.

Maker: Puma

2. South Korea

Purple is a color full of meaning that doesn't get utilized enough. South Korea did a great job by using it for their away kit. It's a rich violet color with a floral pattern that is quite elegant. The Taegeuk Warriors' home jersey is also strong. It's a vibrant red with tiger stripes. Very menacing.

Maker: Nike

1. France

France knows how to win and they always look good doing it. The 2026 World Cup is no different. The home jersey features a collar, which is always a fan favorite and a classic look. There's also a cool wavy pattern that is eye-catching and fresh. Speaking of fresh, the away shirt is a pleasant mint green color with copper accents. It actually pays homage to France gifting the Statue of Liberty to the United States, which is one of the host countries for this year's tournament. Brilliant!

Maker: Nike