Ranking the 2023 RWC kits 4/4
Not a “world cup” kit but certainly one of the worst I’ve seen.
If you’ve stuck with me through all four rounds then fair play. We’re now on the eve of the greatest tournament this sport has and I hope you’re all as excited as I am. Here are your final five kit reviews and if you’ve enjoyed reading, please share around and stay tuned for upcoming content.
Being the home of the fashionistas, there’s always an expectation for Italy to be the best dressed at a tournament. With Macron kitting out so many nations this year, you may be wondering if they’ve saved something special for their own nation.
Home
The royal blue will never fail to be striking, and having the embossed laurel wreath (a symbol of victory in ancient Rome) only secures this shirt as one of its classics. Italians will see this jersey in decades time and know immediately, “That was 2023”. Thin collars add a suave edge, but I feel the sleeve bands are a little too broad.
7.4/10
Alternate
Sticking to the home design with white allows the laurel pattern to still be visible. I like that they’ve been brave on a home design and stuck with it for the away shirt. The blue piping on the neck adds an elegance to the shirt that makes it look smart. The thick sleeve bands also don’t look as bad in blue as they do in white.
7.4/10
Chile open their RWC account this year and provide us with the third South American team in the tournament, barging out regulars USA and Canada.
Home
Los Condores, partnered with Umbro, hit the ground running here with a classic red and blue trimming to mark their maiden voyage in the competition. Always best to avoid going too lairy when you’re the new kids on the block. Just like the other Umbro kits, there’s a hint of Soccer. But the strong collar, bold arm bands, and tapered side trims accentuate the larger bodies that will be donning this respectable jersey.
7.2
Alternate
I love how they’ve bravely decided to push the boat out here on the change kit. The detail really makes this shirt pop. Incorporating national colours in the condor wingspans that flash across the white background, plus an extra bit of flair on the sleeves. Because why not?
8.1
Forever the “other” African nation, I had to search the web far and wide to find these blurry images of the Namibia jerseys. This is a bit worrying, as it probably means they’ll be hard to purchase for the diehard fans.
Home
This is a shame, as the home jersey looks quite special. Just like Tonga, they’ve opted for the red shoulder targets but with marble texture, possibly resembling the rock-hard players underneath. This is the only BLK entry and they’ve done well.
8.8/10
Alternate
They knew what they were doing with the marble texture. Adding it to the side panels of the alternate kit is eye-catching enough to keep this plain white jersey interesting.
5.3/10
Out of all the South Pacific Islands, Manu Samoa may well be the worst performing nation this upcoming world cup, and they have a kit to match.
Home
Being the seventh kit Macron have had to design, maybe the designers hit peak creative fatigue and opted for the minimalist approach. It looks like the two-coloured bibs you get at PE in school. A complete lack of imagination.
1.5
Away
I see they’ve tried to add some detail but it’s way too faint to even notice. There’s a whole host of inspiration you can gleam from kitting out a Pacific nation and Macron have failed to recognise any.
1.2
We’ve finally got to the end of this exhaustive list, and what better team to end with than with the host nation. France have usually performed well in the sartorial department and, being the host nation, you’d be expecting great things.
Home
Le Coq sportif have answered the question of “how many cocks can you put on a shirt?” here. They’ve opted for a much darker, almost menacing blue with a textured detail on closer inspection. The smooth shoulder panels match the sleeve cuffs and the inner collar reads “NOTRE MAILLOT, NOTRE HISTOIRE, NOTRE PAYS”, translated to, “OUR JERSEY, OUR HISTORY, OUR COUNTRY”. Spine tingling!
9.2/10
Alternate
The texture actually stands out better on the white background, and an asymmetrical side panel and cuff gives this jersey a sharp edge that other alternate jerseys lack.
9.1
Here it is. Your Definitive list of who you should be wearing in the coming months. Wales taking the top spot buoyed by their away performance, France coming up second and newcomers Portugal coming in third with a gallant first effort. I hope this helps you decide on where to spend your cash this RWC or even shed some light on a strip you may never have noticed. I’m off to watch literally every single game.
Wish me luck!