France, England, USA, Portugal shirts for 2022 World Cup unveiled amid mixed reaction
With just over two months to go to the competition, Nike revealed the kits their national sides will use in Qatar.
Following Adidas presenting their World Cup 2022 shirts roughly a month ago for the likes of Spain, Japan, Mexico, Germany and Argentina, today it was the turn for Nike to reveal the shirts for the national sides that form part of their portfolio.
The Oregon sportswear giant confirmed new home and away kits for a myriad of nations such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria (who missed out on a place at Qatar), Korea Republic, hosts Qatar and major European nations such as England, France, Netherlands and Portugal.
🚨 Shirt Slert 🚨
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) September 15, 2022
Nike have released their kits for the upcoming World Cup!
Starting with England, the away is very similar to the 1990 away! 🏴 pic.twitter.com/7zyIx0vjxX
The reaction to the shirts has been mixed with the Portugal home effort coming under some major criticism and many England fans feeling that the new home shirt has the look of a training shirt but their frustration is offset with the solid job on the red 90s inspired away effort.
Portugal sempre teve um dos uniformes mais simples e armoniosos do mundo. Vermelho escarlate, puro, daquele q explode na visão de longe e q faz um contraste lindo com os detalhes verdes. Meter essa faixa diagonal verde é desfigurar a identidade visual dessa seleção. Parece abadá! pic.twitter.com/mzfNaSYTG0
— Fernando Kallás 🇧🇷🇪🇸🇱🇧 (@fernandokallas) September 15, 2022
US anger
The one release that has however, been unanimously criticized is that of the USMNT. Upon leaks emerging of the possible shirts a few months ago, players such as Tim Weah and Weston McKennie took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction about the bland and uninspiring efforts from Nike.
The USMNT's kits for the 2022 World Cup are here 👀 pic.twitter.com/ylakM38ubb
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 15, 2022
Both round collar shirts feature the US Soccer shield in the centre with the Nike swoosh being placed on the sleeves.
Nike’s contempt for US Soccer is real. Trash kit after trash kit pic.twitter.com/FoemO8XD5x
— aspiring s10 xtreme owner (@Mid_West_Jake) September 15, 2022
“I rate it in the middle,” American midfielder Yunus Musah said during a conference call in August with the Valencia man putting his right thumb sideways. “It’s not there,” he said with a thumbs up, then flipping to a thumbs down, “or there. It’s the middle.”