Ireland Needs to Remove Sponsor From Kits

Update: The reaction to our post about Ireland having a shirt sponsor probably shows that fans agree with our opinion that national team shirts should have no sponsor.

The new Ireland 2026 kits by Castore were released today. However, they again come with a huge disappointment for fans of their national team.

Ireland 2026 Kits Not Available Without Sponsor

The Ireland 2026 football kits feature a large Sky logo on the front, as it is usually only seen for club teams. This makes them different from the match shirts, as sponsors are not allowed for national teams.

Indeed, the Ireland kits featuring Sky as a sponsor lack the feel of a true national team shirt and come across more like a club or rugby kit, diminishing the sense of national identity and status.

We and many fans think that Ireland should remove the Sky logo from their retail national team kits. With prices set at €105 for the replica and €145 for the authentic version, fans are paying premium prices for shirts that carry a front sponsor and are different from those kits worn on the pitch.

Ireland is currently the only national team selling and presenting retail kits with sponsorship, after Switzerland moved away from the practice in 2020. At these prices, supporters should be getting a clean national team shirt, not advertising space they are paying for.

Do you have a problem with a national team having a sponsor on the retail kits? Let us know in the comments below.