Croatia's World Cup Kit History
With Croatia about to play in their second successive World Cup semi-final, we take a look back at all of their unique chequered shirts that have appeared at the tournament over the years.
Croatia World Cup Kit History
At the last couple of tournaments, Croatia have established themselves as a resilient, technically proficient side that handle pressure extremely well. Having been part of Yugoslavia until 1991, Croatia have qualified for six of the eight World Cups that have taken place since they gained independence. Their chequered shirts meant they always stood out on the pitch, even when they didn't make it out of the group stage, and in recent years have become an essential component of a complete visual World Cup experience. Look back at each one they've worn at the tournament below.
1998
Croatia's first World Cup was a success on many levels. A third place finish at their first ever attempt, a golden boot for Davor Suker, and a gloriously 90s set of kits from Lotto. predominantly white, the chequered pattern was arranged to give the impression of a flag blowing in the wind.
The away shirt was mainly blue, but of course plenty of space in the underarm sections was reserved for a more uniform chequered section.
2002
Croatia switched to Nike in 2000 and were given the same template as everyone else for the 2002 World Cup. The pattern was hemmed in by the various seams and blue ventilated mesh on the front of the shirt, and partially obscured on the back by the large white squares that were applied with the numbers.
The away kit retained all the same colours but rotated them, so the torso was now blue while the shoulders were chequered. A polo collar was also added for good measure.
2006
Possibly the most straightforward home shirt that Croatia have had. No raglan sleeves, oddly placed seams or other disruptions to the pattern, everything was evenly chequered. Nike had the good sense to leave some - but not too much - white space on the back for number visibility. They did also pack a similarly plain blue away kit for the tournament, with a chequered stripe running down one side, but did not wear it as the were knocked out at the group stage.
2014
2014's shirt was a departure from the ones before it in the sense that red occupied more space than white thanks to the solid sleeves and back. The size of the squares also increased from previous years. Once more, they went home early and didn't get the chance to use their away kit which was the usual shade of blue. No prizes for guessing what pattern ran along the tops of the shoulders.
2018
Red sleeves returned in 2018 and even covered the tops of the shoulders. The checks were enlarged even further and had jagged edges. The players themselves showed their teeth in beating Argentina 3-0 in the group stage, knocking out Denmark and Russia on penalties and putting England on the plane home after the semi-finals before succumbing to defeat against the French at the last hurdle.
Their away shirt was one of the best of the tournament, the colour combo of navy and black working extremely well on the famous chequered pattern, and the red Swoosh provides the perfect choice and amount of accent colour.
2022
After steadily ceding white space to red over the years, Nike went back to a colour distribution more similar to their 1998 shirt for this year's World Cup. Chequered shoulders and a smattering of red squares across a mainly white torso is a new take on the famous design, but the shirt remains unmistakably Croatian.
Set for its tournament debut against Argentina tonight, their away shirt has divided opinion so far. It gives us something new through the addition of the blurred squares reminiscent of Windows 98, and a fetching navy and electric blue colour combo. It's sure to win the fans over if the result of the game is anything like when the two sides met in 2018.
What do you think of Croatia's World Cup shirts? Which one is your favourite? Comment below.
Barcelona Debut 26-27 Home Kit With Red Shorts & Socks vs Birmingham
FC Barcelona debuted their new Nike 26-27 home shirt during a pre-season friendly match against Birmingham City. However, rather than wearing the primary dark shorts standard for the design, the Catalan side took to the pitch in an alternative combination featuring red shorts and red socks.
The choice to pair the striped 26-27 home jersey with red shorts created a striking, predominantly red lower half. This alternative configuration might was used to avoid a socks clash with Birmingham City, but it was not really needed9
Port Vale 26-27 Away Kit Revealed
Puma and English League Two side Port Vale have officially launched their new away kit for the 26-27 season.
The shirt features an eye-catching geometric pattern in vibrant shades of purple and cyan, paired with clean white accents along the collar, side panels, and sleeve cuffs. Pop star and lifelong supporter Robbie Williams sponsors the jersey, featuring his 'RW' logo prominently on the chest in solid white to complete a standout look for the club on the road.
Santa Clara 26-27 Away Kit Leaked
The new CD Santa Clara 26-27 away kit produced by Puma has been officially released, showcasing a unique look inspired by the club's Azorean roots.
Built on a white base, the jersey features striking blue wavy graphic patterns across the front to represent the ocean surrounding the archipelago, complemented by dark navy logos, the regional Azores flag, and sponsor branding from Lebull.
Darlington FC 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
English National League North side Darlington FC and Macron have officially unveiled the club's new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. The home jersey features Darlington's classic black and white hooped design complemented by yellow accents, including a yellow collar trim, Macron hero logos, and a monochromatic yellow club crest. The away kit introduces a bold red shirt highlighted by a black geometric chevron pattern fading into the lower body alongside black collar and sleeve trim.
Oldham Athletic 26-27 Away Kit Released
Oldham Athletic and Puma have officially unveiled the club's new away kit for the 26-27 season. Inspired by the nickname Ice Station Zebra, which references the freezing cold conditions often felt at Boundary Park, the new strip brings an icy visual theme to the pitch.
The Puma Oldham Athletic 26-27 away shirt is predominantly white with an eye-catching blue cracked-ice graphic pattern running down the center of the front. Royal blue accents trim the collar and sleeve cuffs, while the Puma cat logos, chest sponsor, and monochrome owl crest are applied in matching blue.
The new Oldham Athletic 26-27 away kit will be available to purchase online and in physical club stores starting August 1, 2026.
Žilina 26-27 Away Kit Released
Slovak club MŠK Žilina and Nike have officially unveiled the team's new away kit for the 26-27 season. Reversing the primary colors of their home uniform, the new shirt features a dark green base decorated with thin yellow vertical pinstripes. A solid yellow crew collar and yellow Nike Swoosh complete the design, while the club's detailed crest is positioned on the left chest alongside the unfitting red Radoma sponsor logo across the front.
AS Nancy-Lorraine 26-27 Away Kit Released
French club AS Nancy-Lorraine has officially unveiled its new 26-27 away kit, manufactured by Decathlon.
The new uniform features a modern design with fine geometric lines and an abstract pattern incorporating the club's iconic thistle emblem from the crest. Accentuated with subtle red detailing on the collar and sleeve cuffs, the jersey also includes a special tribute on the nape of the neck paying homage to the 100th anniversary of the Stade Marcel Picot.
Nijmegen 26-27 Away Kit Released
Dutch Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen and kit supplier Robey have officially unveiled the new 26-27 away kit.
Predominantly black, the jersey features subtle red and green trims on the crew collar and sleeve cuffs in honor of the club's traditional identity. The front showcases intricate tonal graphics embossed with historical crest elements and a Roman helmet motif, while the upper back displays two crossed swords alongside the slogan "Vechten voor N.E.C." White sponsor logos on the chest and gold gothic typography for the player names and numbers complete the design, which is paired with matching black shorts and socks.
Chaves 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
GD Chaves and Hummel have officially unveiled the club's new kit collection for the 26-27 season, presenting a complete lineup of home, away, and third shirts.
The GD Chaves 26-27 home kit stays true to tradition, featuring classic red and navy blue vertical stripes across the front and back. It comes with a white polo collar finished with red and navy trim, navy sleeves, and white Hummel chevrons on the shoulders. A subtle graphic pattern is woven into the fabric to add texture to the traditional look.
For the alternative options, the 26-27 away kit features a distinct light pink base with a tonal geometric graphic throughout, completed by vibrant magenta logos and a matching monochromatic club crest. The third kit adopts a dark charcoal and black palette with an intricate tonal pattern, complemented by sleek silver accents for the Hummel logo, shoulder chevrons, and club badge.