Adidas 2026 World Cup Kits Feature Inverted Collars for Men and Women

Adidas recently unveiled its massive and highly anticipated lineup of national team kits for the 2026 World Cup. While fans have been busy debating the bold graphics and return of classic crests, we have spotted a highly fascinating, easily missed detail regarding the new collar construction.

Adidas 2026 World Cup Kits Feature Inverted Collars for Men and Women

Many of the new Adidas 2026 World Cup kits, most notably the Argentina away and Spain away jerseys, feature a distinct, overlapping asymmetrical V-neck collar as part of the brand's new elite template.

However, upon closer inspection of the retail product imagery, this asymmetrical overlap is not uniform across all cuts. It turns out that Adidas has intentionally inverted the collar design between the men's and women's versions of the shirts.

The Three Stripes brand has implemented a very specific and somewhat bizarre tailoring difference based on gender:

• Men's Kits: On the men's version of the shirts, the collar construction runs clockwise. The right flap of the collar distinctly overlaps the left flap at the base of the neck.

• Women's Kits: Conversely, on the women's version, the design is completely mirrored. The collar runs counter-clockwise, meaning the left flap overlaps the right flap.

This subtle mirroring effect is consistent across the teams utilizing this specific collar style, proving it is a deliberate design choice rather than a manufacturing error. It is a highly unique detail that showcases the brand creating distinct tailoring characteristics specifically for its men's and women's silhouettes.

What do you think of this inverted collar detail? Did you manage to spot this subtle difference when the kits were first released? Let us know in the comments below.