Official Adidas 2026 National Team Ranking Leaked
Nov 9, 2025, by Phan Tich Giay
- Adidas Ranking Leaked: An internal Adidas document revealing the national team ranking system for the 2026 World Cup has been leaked.
- Ranking Tiers: Adidas divides sponsored teams into three tiers: Key Countries, EM Countries (Emerging Markets), and Other Countries.
- Authentic Kits for All: Adidas will provide authentic, player-issue kits to all national teams in its portfolio for the 2026 World Cup, closing the product gap between tiers.
Update: The leaked Adidas national team ranking appears to be slightly inaccurate, as it contradicts reality. Colombia, which is listed in 'Others', (and written wrong, Columbia), is actually an Adidas first-tier team. Why?
1. Colombia is featured in the main ads as one of seven big teams.
2. Colombia is listed as the 6th team on Adidas Europe Website
3. Colombia has got player edits for their home kit (which Adidas created for their first-tier teams only - except for Mexico, whose kit was changed lately).
Split of EM & Others Also Wrong?
In addition, the split between the second tier (EM - Emerging Markets) and the third tier (Others), also seems to be inaccurate. Jamaica is in the third tier, even though it gets special Adidas collections and better treatment than all the smaller countries. The teams from the Middle East, Qatar, and the UAE, are placed higher than the actual reality showcases. The same applies to Ukraine.
The leaked image itself is real and comes from an official Adidas event. Other images from the same event showcase 2026 World Cup kits and their design inspiration.
5 November 2025
Official Adidas 2026 National Team Ranking Leaked
An internal Adidas document has been leaked, revealing the brand's definitive ranking system for its national federations ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Thanks to @MidanAlAtqam.
Adidas "Definitive" 2026 National Team Ranking
The image, titled "ADIDAS FEDERATIONS - WC 2026", sorts all sponsored teams into three distinct tiers: "Key Countries", "EM Countries", and "Other Countries".
Here is a full breakdown of the pyramid:
- Key Countries (Elite Tier)
This is the top tier, equivalent to Adidas's "Elite" clubs (like Real Madrid or Manchester United). These are the brand's main assets, receiving bespoke designs and the full weight of Adidas's marketing.
The 7 Key Countries are: Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Japan
- EM Countries (Emerging Markets)
This second tier is a strategic group focused on "Emerging Markets." This list includes nations from key regions where Adidas is looking to grow its presence.
The 6 EM Countries are: Ukraine, Algeria, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Notably, four of these teams are recent acquisitions for Adidas (Saudi Arabia in 2023, Qatar & Ukraine in 2024, and South Africa in 2026), showing a clear strategy.
- Other Countries
This third tier contains all other federations sponsored by the brand. Despite being in the lowest tier, this group includes many historic footballing nations.
'Other Countries' include: Sweden, Scotland, Colombia, Chile, Hungary, Wales, Greece, Peru, and all others.
The Great Equalizer: Authentic Kits For ALL
While this ranking dictates marketing and investment, the most important news for the 2026 World Cup is that this product gap is closing.
As Footy Headlines was first to report, Adidas is providing authentic, player-issue kits to ALL federations in its portfolio for the 2026 World Cup. This is a major and welcome strategy shift, ensuring that teams in the "Other Countries" tier, like Sweden and Peru, will have the exact same advanced Climacool+ technology as "Key Countries" like Germany and Argentina.
What do you think of Adidas's national team ranking? Is it a fair representation? Let us know in the comments below.
Real Madrid 26-27 New Shirt Number Owners
Real Madrid have officially confirmed their squad numbers for the 2026-27 season. Thanks to @jersey_story for the design visuals.
Raúl Asencio steps into the No. 2 shirt previously worn by Dani Carvajal, while new signing Dean Huijsen takes over No. 4 from David Alaba. Endrick also returns to the No. 9 after his loan spell at Marseille.
Among the new arrivals, Ibrahima Konaté will wear No. 16, Marc Cucurella No. 17, Carlos Espí No. 19, Denzel Dumfries No. 24 and Yan Diomande No. 25. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva will continue wearing No. 20 following Fran García's departure. The number is closely associated with the Portuguese midfielder's most successful years at Manchester City.
Which new number catches your eye the most? Let us know your answer in the comments below.
Paris Saint-Germain Debut 26-27 Kits Featuring Two Stars
PSG debuted a two-star version of their 26-27 kits during recent friendly matches, commemorating their pair of UEFA Champions League titles. This special detail will be used exclusively in international competitions.
Despite Ligue 1 placing no restriction on star crests, PSG announced they will not feature the stars on their domestic league kits. Special thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the spot and graphic.
No More Nike: Adidas Croatia 2026 Training Kits Revealed
Following their switch from Nike to Adidas, Croatia's new training kit set for 2026 have been unveiled in the latest training camp for youth teams' goalkeepers.
However from what we've seen, both of the new jerseys are simply from Adidas Tiro 26 League template range, using default black and grey color choices. These are very likely just temporary options for the mean time, until the actual designs with probably bespoke colorways are officially released.
What do you think of the new Adidas Croatia 2026 training kits? Let us know in the comments below.
FC Barcelona 26-27 Third Kit Font Leaked
Following the leak of FC Barcelona's 26-27 third kit, kit expert @memorabilia1899 has provided a first look at the custom typeface that will feature on the back of the jersey. The bespoke font design continues Nike's trend of pairing unique typography with its high-profile club kit releases for the season.
The typography features a sharp, geometric design with clean blocky angles for the player numbers, rendered in dark navy blue and bordered by a bright red outline. The player name is printed in arched, bold sans-serif lettering using the same color scheme, perfectly matching the teal body and red trim of the shirt.
This custom typeface will be worn on Barcelona's 26-27 third kit during cup fixtures and selected league games where customized fonts are permitted. The contrasting red outline gives the player names and numbers clear visibility against the light teal graphic backdrop.