Adidas & Nike to Release Less 'Boring' White Away Kits For 2022 World Cup?
Dec 22, 2021, by Khoi
For the last two major international football competitions, we've seen plenty, if not too much, white away kits. It is undoubtedly a safe choice (especially for FIFA's one light/ one dark kit rule), but safe tends to lead to boring looking shirts.
FIFA require teams to have one light and one dark uniform
The most important reason for most teams having a white kit is FIFA's dark/light rule. Each team need to have one mainly dark and one main light uniform.
This was evident in our ranking of EURO 2020 away shirts, where pretty much the bottom half of the list was dominated by white-colored ones.
White Kits Of National Teams In Recent Years
So let's take a look at some of the white kits of recent years.
Starting with Nike and the current world champion France. Their away shirts have been uninspiring for the last few years. In 2018, it has red and blue details all over the shirt but they are so small that the shirt would still look pretty plain.
Nike clean up the background for the 2020 France away jersey, making it even more plain than before, with only red and blue stripes on the sides.
Portugal's and South Korea's 2018 away jerseys were in a similar situation with France. They were all white with small all-over patterns on the front of the shirt.
Although to Nike's credit, they moved away from white for these two teams after 2018.
Adidas have been trying to improve their white away kits in recent competitions as well. Usually, they coupled their white kits with light-colored graphics to avoid being too plain and boring.
Spain is a good example for this. The 2018 away shirt is technically "Halo Blue". However, Adidas created it by putting a light blue pattern all over a white background. A similar practice was used for the 2020 shirt, but with grey instead.
Both shirts were not bland, but definitely not interesting enough. Maybe something like the Spain EURO 2016 away will catch more attention.
Other examples are 2018 World Cup away kits of Russia, Egypt and the 2020 EURO shirts of Hungary and Belgium.
Moving on to Puma, whose away kits of the recent EURO 2020 did not receive much praise, and for a good reason.
They went with a modern and simplified (oversimplified, honestly) look and the fans understandably were not happy with such uncharacteristic design.
Although, were it not for COVID-19 delaying the EURO 2020, we could have been treated with some great looking away kits by Puma. Italy's Renaissance pattern and Switzerland's Alps graphic definitely adds much needed style to the bland white background.
With that said, Uruguay's away shirts have been pretty much the same for years now, just white with blue stripes here and there.
Outside of the big three, Hummel has made little changes to Denmark's away shirt between World Cup 2018 and EURO 2020.
Most of the white kits we've seen in recent years are definitely not bad, but perhaps a more creative design or even better, a bit less of white kits, is needed to freshen the game.
White / Lights Kits Of National Teams For 2022 (World Cup)
For the 2022 World Cup, the leaked info reveals that Adidas, Puma, and Nike will again release one light and one dark kit for each nation.
Brands opt for very light color and off-white
At least Adidas and Nike try to release some very light but non-white kits. Mexico's away kit is "Wonder White", Portugal's away kit is "Sail", while Spain will get a very light blue away jersey.
Other Adidas and Nike 2022 away jerseys again feature the main color, White. For example, the away kits of Belgium, Nigeria, and France will be white - However, we might still be some impressive designs despite kites having a white main color.
We will have to wait and see what other brands come up with for World Cup 2022 away kits. But judging by the direction Nike and Adidas are taking, things look promising. We can only hope Puma will not repeat what they did last EURO.
Do you hope to see less (boring) white kits in World Cup 2022? Let us know your thoughts.
FC Kaiserslautern 26-27 Special Kit Released
Bundesliga 2 side 1. FC Kaiserslautern have officially unveiled their special 2026-27 'Herz der Pfalz' (Heart of the Palatinate) kit. Made by Castore, the shirt debuted against Eintracht Braunschweig and celebrates the region's wine culture and late-summer wine festivals.
The special shirt features a light beige base with a darker stylized grapevine pattern, while Bordeaux-red details appear on the collar, cuffs and monochrome Castore and FCK logos. The 'Herz der Pfalz' wording is placed on the upper back, with additional lettering inside the collar.
What do you think of the new 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2026-27 special kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Various Argentine Clubs To Switch Kit Supplier
Following latest reports from Argentine kit expert Marca de Gol, various Argentine clubs are expected to change kit supplier for the upcoming 2027 season.
Notably, four top flight sides could already be on their way to partner with local brand Atomik: Vélez Sársfield, Atlético Talleres, Gimnasia La Plata and Atlético Tucumán. On the other hand, Italian brand Givova are seemingly losing two teams - Gimnasia as mentioned above and Atlético Unión to Fiume Sports.
Which of these supplier change do you look forward the most? Let us know in the comments.
Puma Kit Durability Questioned Again as Julian Ryerson Suffers Ripped Shorts
Borussia Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson suffered an unusual kit malfunction during BVB's 1-0 Bundesliga victory against VfB Stuttgart. Midway through the second half, the Norwegian international engaged in a physical duel with Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling. As Leweling fell to the turf, he grabbed hold of Ryerson's shorts, completely tearing the outer seam apart and leaving the fabric hanging loose.
Ryerson initially attempted to carry on playing by knotting the shredded material at his hip. After repeatedly signaling toward the bench that the damaged kit could not hold up, he eventually made his way to the sideline. Second-choice goalkeeper Alexander Meyer rushed over to hand him a fresh pair, resulting in a brief moment where Ryerson was left in his base-layer yellow undershorts before donning the replacement gear and re-entering the pitch.
The incident has brought Puma's kit durability back under scrutiny. The German brand constructs its authentic elite kits using lightweight Ultraweave performance fabric, prioritizing minimal weight and high breathability. However, the delicate material has repeatedly faced criticism among supporters after tearing in high-intensity tussles, with Ryerson's mishap marking another visible tear on the Bundesliga stage this 26-27 season.
Monterrey Debuts Special Coca-Cola 100th Anniversary Kit Font
CF Monterrey sported a special commemorative nameset on their 26-27 Puma home kit during their Liga MX match against Cruz Azul at Estadio BBVA. The bespoke squad numbers and lettering were created in collaboration with longtime club partner Coca-Cola to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in Mexico (1926-2026).
The font features an eye-catching textured look inspired by traditional Mexican artisan beadwork. Rendered in a bold red base adorned with intricate white, green, and red jewel-like accents reflecting the national flag, each number also integrates a subtle Rayados crest at the base. Positioned neatly above the numbers is the official red Coca-Cola 100 México anniversary script and lockup.
Alongside its on-pitch appearance with the first team, the commemorative nameset was released as an exclusive collector's edition. Only 100 supporters were given the opportunity to customize their 26-27 home shirt with the special font directly at the official Estadio BBVA club store.
Match-Worn Harry Kane Bayern Munich Kit Cut Up for Rare Topps Cards
Trading card manufacturer Topps has revealed a set of four ultra-rare trading cards created by cutting up a match-worn Harry Kane Bayern Munich jersey. Released as part of the 2025-26 Topps Museum Collection UEFA Club Competitions series, the cards take the striker's match-worn nameplate and divide it into four individual one-of-one collectibles.
Each card in the Museum Nameplate Relics subset houses a single letter from Kane's surname: "K", "A", "N", and "E". Embedded in a dedicated display window alongside a photo of Kane in Bayern colors, the fabric swatches highlight the cream-colored knit and deep red lettering from a Bayern kit, marked with official "Match-Worn Memorabilia" certification and UEFA Champions League branding.
While relic cards featuring match-worn gear have been popular in the hobby for years, deconstructing entire match-worn shirts to create cards regularly divides opinions among kit collectors who would rather see historic shirts preserved intact.
For high-end card enthusiasts, however, piecing together all four separate 1/1 cards to rebuild the complete nameplate is set to be one of the rarest pursuits in the collection.
FC Augsburg 26-27 Third Kit Debuted
FC Augsburg debuted their new 26-27 third kit on the pitch during their Bundesliga away match against Werder Bremen. Officially unveiled just days prior by the club and Japanese sportswear brand Mizuno under the name "No. 03 / Unser Drittes", the strip served as the final regular kit release across the entire Bundesliga for the season.
On the pitch, Augsburg completed the look with maroon shorts and matching socks for a streamlined appearance. Subtle detailing finishes off the jersey, including the club's founding year 1907 applied inside the neck and classic FC Augsburg lettering across the upper back.
