World Cup ’26: Group Stage, Kit Review

We are at that point where the first set of teams are heading home, the Group Stage concluded on 27th June (well 28th June in Europe). 16 Teams have been eliminated, as we head into the Knockout phase of the competition.

It is time for me to take a look at the Kits worn through-out the Group Stages and those worn in the last round of games.

1st Round of Group games can be found here

2nd Round of Group games can be found here

Overview of Kits

Total Kits Used

  • Kits Worn in Total – 102
  • New Kits in Round 3 of games – 19
  • Primary Kits in Total – 61
  • Secondary Kits in Total – 36
  • 3rd Kits in Total – 5
  • 12 teams to wear three different kits in their three group games
  • 30 Teams wore two different kits
  • 6 Teams have worn a single kit look
  • 4 Teams in Primary, Secondary and Third Kits.

Match 3 Fixtures

Looking into the Groups in more detail…

Group A – 9 Kits

Mexico are the stand out team in Group A, wearing Primary, Secondary and Third Kits in their 3 games. South Africa wore just their Primary Kit, but with alternative yellow shorts in 2 of their games. Both Czechia and South Korea wore Primary Kits twice and Secondary Kits just the once.

Group B – 9 Kits

Canada, the second co-hosts to wear all three (Primary, Secondary and Third) Kits in their Group Games are the majorty talking point with regards to Kit usage in Group B. The remaining teams wore Primary / Secondary Kits with no variations, with Switzerland wearing their Primary Kit twice and Qatar, Bosnia & Hertzegovina both wearing their secondary kits twice.

Group C – 9 Kits

Another Group with 9 Kits in total, and another team with 3 different kits in their 3 games, this time Brazil wore a variation of their Primary Kit with alternative white shorts against Scotland. The other teams were in 2 different kit looks, Morocco in their Primary Kit twice, Haiti in their Secondary Kit twice and Scotland wore their Primary Kit twice and wore their Secondary Kit with alternative salmon socks.

Group D – 9 Kits

Our fourth group in a row with 9 Kits and USA complete the hat-trick of Hosts wearing 3 different kits in their group games, however unlike Mexico and Canada who wore three distinct kits, USA done this with a variation of their Primary Kit with white alternative shorts worn in their opening game. Australia wore their Primary Kit in all their games but with an all (canary) yellow look used. Paraguay wore their Primary Kit just once and did so with alternative white shorts.

Group E – 8 kits

Our first group with under 9 Kits, however the run of teams wearing 3 different Kits continues with Ecuador, who wore a mash up of the Secondary / Third Kits, Primary Kit in all yellow and finally their Primary Kit in it’s default look in their final group game against Germany. Ivory Coast are our first team to wear a single kit look in the Group Stage and Curaçao wear one of the teams with the most popular secondary kits in the competition, however they did not get to use it, wearing 2 variations of their Primary kit in their games.

Group F – 8 Kits

Group F, provided each team in 2 different Kit looks… Netherlands and Japan both wore 2 variations of their Primary Kit, both wearing alternative shorts to create a single colour kit look in one game. Sweden wore their Secondary Kit once and used alternative yellow shorts.

Group G – 6 Kits

Group G is the first group where we saw a single kit worn and in fact there was two, with Belgium and Iran both only wearng their Primary Kit. Eygpt wore both their kits with different shorts, wearing their Primary twice with secondary shorts and vice versa when wearing their Secondary Kit. New Zealand wearing both their kits meant it was just the 6 Kits worn in this group!

Group H – 10 Kits

10 Kits in Group H the most kits in a single group, with both Uruaguay and Cape Verde in three different kits in their three games. Cape Verde wore Primary, Secondary and Third Kits, Uruguay started the tournament in their Primary Kit with alternative white shorts, and then wore both Primary and Secondary Kits in their default looks. Spain wore their popular Secondary Kit with alternative white shorts and socks when they used it in their final game.

Group I – 9 Kits

We are back to the 9 Kit Groups with Group I, France the team here to wear three different kit looks, with Primary and Secondary worn and then an “All Blue” alternative Primay look. Norway wore their Primary Kit twice (my favourite shirt of the tournament), however they wore it with alterntative red shorts and socks, this is the third different colour shorts they have worn in the kit’s short lifespan! Senegal wore their Primary Kit in all three games, but used green shorts in their opening game.

Group J – 9 Kits

Another 9 Kit Group, Holders Argentina started the tournament in the look they ended the 2022 Victory with alternative white shorts and socks, following this up with Primary and Secondary kits in their default looks. Austria were another team to wear their Primary Kit in all three games but with a single alternative look, this was with white shorts.

Group K – 7 Kits

Our first group with 7 Kits, however the main kit talking point was Colombia in this group, with three different kits used, however all three looks wear alternative looks, with Secondary worn with alternative neon socks, and Primary worn once with alternative white shorts and once with alternative white socks! Two teams were in a single kit look, Portugal and Uzebekistan, who wore their secondary all white kit in their three games. DR Congo, who progressed through to the knock out phase wearing their third kit in their final game.

Group L – 9 Kits

The final group and it’s another group with 9 kits (7 in total). There were two teams with three different kit looks, with Panama wearing Primary, Secondary and Third Kits, England wore Primary and Secondary Kits, and also wore their Primary Kit with their secondary shorts for a kit mash up! Ghana wore just the one kit, however this was their secondary kit.

Kit Highlights from Match 3

It looks like Guillermo Ochoa played his final game of his career, coming on as a sub in Mexico’s victory against Czechia, this is his 6th time being part of the Mexican World Cup Squad and wearing ths wonderful goalkeeper kit (with tri-colour Adidas Stripes and Trefoil logo) with a “Legcay” Player patch.

Scotland’s current use of all navy blue for their Primary Kit, meant that Brazil used alternative white shorts a look not worn at World Cups by Brazil since the 3rd/4th Place Off in 2014!

England wore a change kit at Major Championship Finals for the first time in 2906 Days, back to the 3rd/4th Placed Playoff game in 2018… 21 games in total!

Colombia wore alternative white socks in their final game against Portugal, these completed their use of alternative kit looks in their group games, and just look at those turnovers… wonderful stuff!

Norway against France was a really nice match up, Norway for the second game in wearing alternative red shorts and socks to create an “All Red” look.

With Germany moving to Nike in 2027, the US Based Brand delivered one of the ingenious pieces of marketing on Thursday, with German team playing at New Jersey Stadum this advert featuring a pixelated image of Jamal Musiala sailed down the neighbouring Hudson River.

That’s it, the Group Stages are done, we will be back at the end of the Tournament with a final round up of World Cup ’26 Kits!

Let me know your thoughts and comments over at my socials.

X – @kit_geek or Bluesky – Kit Geek

Other Posts you may enjoy

World Cup ’26 – Match 1

World Cup ’26 – Match 2

World Cup 2022

England Kit Review 2026

England Kit History

World Cup ’26: Kit Review, Match 2

The second round of fixtures for the 2026 World Cup are now completed, 48 games down… 56 to go!

The use of “Home” and “Away” kit labels are do not feel right when it comes to International Tournaments, I will refer to them as “Primary” and “Secondary” choice kits.

You can found Round 1 of games here

Overview of Kits

There has been some additions of kits here, some 3rd Kits added (Mexico, Cape Verde).

Total Kits Used

  • Kits Worn in Total – 83
  • New Kits in Round 2 of games – 35
  • Primary Kits in Total – 54
  • Secondary Kits in Total – 26
  • 3rd Kits in Total – 3

Match 2 Fixtures

Kit Highlights

There have been 35 teams to wear two different kits in their opening two games, of which 12 of these wore the same kit in two different variations.

13 Teams have worn the same Kit (and variation) in their opening two games, just 27% of the teams competing, of these teams, Bosnia & Hertzegovina, Haiti, Paraguay, Uzebekistan and Ghana have worn their Secondary Kits in both games.

The game between Japan and Tunisia was the 1000th Game at World Cup Finals, and it was celebrated with special patches on both kits but also the referee’s kit, which along with the patch used gold Adidas stripes and trim!!

There have been some 3rd Kits seen in these round of games, with Mexico, Cape Verde and Panama all using their 3rd Kit!

Cape Verde against Uruaguay.

Mexico… A wonderful Kit Match Up, co-hosts Mexico playing against South Korea in Group A, both teams in change kits likely due to colourblind regulations but what we given was a fantastic pair of kits matched up against each other!

Panama in 3rd Kt against Croatia

Brazil took to the field in a World Cup game in a Kit that did not carry the Nike Logo for the first time since 1994 World Cup Final. Their Secondary Kit carries the Jordan “Jumpman” logo, part of the Nike Family but only previously seen on PSG Kits.

Ecuador made it two games in a row wearing a variation of their kits, after mashing up Secondary and 3rd Kits in their opening game, they wore all yellow as a Primary variation.

Colombia were another team to wear two variations of kits, having worn alternative socks with their Secondary Kit in the opening game, they wore their Primary Kit with alternative white shorts.

England wore their Primary Kit in what looks like traditional colours, but this is actually a mash up, the navy shorts are the shorts with their secondary kit, which as we predicted here could offer some interchangability to their kits.

That’s it for the second round of fixtures, we will be back with the final round of games in each of the groups.

Let me know your thoughts and comments over at my socials.

X – @kit_geek or Bluesky – Kit Geek

Other Posts you may enjoy

World Cup ’26 – Match 1

World Cup 2022

England Kit Review 2026

England Kit History

Kit Log – World Cup, USA 1994

With an explosion and colour and design The 1994 World Cup rolled into new territory and into a new market when 15th Tournament headed off to the USA!

For the third time the tournament format remained unchanged which meant between 17th June and 17th July 1994 there were 24 teams taking part, split into six groups of four teams, followed by the knock out stage of competition to give us a total of 52 games to look at.

In terms of kits there was a leap from the 1990 World Cup in terms of designs, almost all kits had some form of added splashes of colour (for example, the Adidas three strips in Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania), design element (seen with Nigeria, South Korea, Morocco) and even the plain kits had elements of water mark contained within the shirt (think Netherlands, Italy, Brazil).

USA94_1

In terms of manufacturers, Adidas again led the way supplying the most teams playing but their number declined from 1990 World Cup where they had 15 countries in their ranks, this time round they had 10 countries.  Umbro appear next on the list supplying 4 countries, all from Central and South America, something of surprise with a brand that is historically linked with the Home Nations. Other brands such as Lotto, Diadora, Reebok, Mitre also graced the field but there were significant absentees from the manufacturers that we see today in Puma and Nike, who where to enter the market in big way after this tournament.

USA94_2

We need to talk about Adidas, wow…. in my opinion some of their greatest designs appeared at USA 94 and none more-so than the hosts themselves.  USA’s classic “Stars” and “Stripes” kits, which I think should be discussed as a pair, as they were seamlessly interchangeable with their respective shorts and socks, any combination which they took to the pitch just worked beautifully, in their 4 games they used 3 different combinations of kit, a true World Cup classic kit up there with Denmark in 1986 – click here for that tournament’s kit log

Other classic kits seen from Adidas were Nigeria’s second choice kit, a unique design and something that is now the inspiration behind their 2018 World Cup Kit, one of the best we have seen so far this year.  Ireland also had unique designs from Adidas and I believe these kits, particularly the away kit being underrated as one of the best away kits Ireland have had, they were also short lived designs with Ireland moving across to Umbro shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup.

Adidas also introduced some template designs which at the time I did not like but have grown on me over the years, particularly Sweden’s away kit and Argentina’s away kit, although when I think of that kit I have an image of Maradona screaming into the camera after scoring (the less said about that the better).

USA94_3

There was some unusual sights in both Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, where there games with both teams wearing the “away” strips, Netherlands v Brazil, Romania v Sweden and Sweden v Brazil, a common theme of yellow there but after looking into the reason behind this, there is no clear reason why this choice was made, if anyone has any thoughts or ideas about this please let me know.

Eventual winners, Umbro wearing Brazil wore they home kit 4 times including the final and away 3 times, where they combined the away shirt and socks with home shorts to give us a smart all blue (although slightly different shades blue, ahead of their time?) variation.