Les Bleus’ attempts to retain the famous trophy, the return of the Netherlands to the big stage and the prospect of a final international tournament for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo all hint at a fascinating last few weeks of action.
However, the battles on the pitch are just one part of the narrative, with the fight for the best kit at the 2022 World Cup getting underway well before a ball was even kicked.
The majority of the 32 sides involved have released a new jersey ahead of the competition, as fans race to secure the latest shirt before the tournament starts.
MORE: England World Cup shirt 2022: See the new Three Lions jersey
World Cup kits 2022
Group A: Qatar
Jerseys: Home and Away (Maroon/White) Date released: September 21, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Hosts Qatar released a new home and away kit ahead of the tournament, with the sleeve design a nod to their national flag.
Group A: Ecuador
Jerseys: Home, Away and Third (Yellow/Blue/White) Date released: August 26, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Marathon Sport Where to buy: Marathon Sport official website
Ecuador were one of the first national sides to confirm their 2022 World Cup kit release, with three new jerseys available for La Tri fans.
Group A: Senegal
Jerseys: Home and Away (Green/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
Defending African champions Senegal changed their Puma design jersey for Qatar, with the country’s flag splashed across the front.
Group A: Netherlands
Jerseys: Home and Away (Orange/Blue) Date released: September 21, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
The Netherlands released a somewhat controversial new design for their return to the world stage, with their iconic bright orange toned down in 2022.
Group B: England
Jerseys: Home and Away (White/Red) Date released: September 21, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
England opted for a retro-inspired look for their 2022 World Cup quest, with the red away shirt a nod to David Beckham at France ‘98.
Group B: Iran
Jerseys: Home, Away (White/Red) Date released: January, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Majid Where to buy: Majid official website
Iran did not release a new kit ahead of the 2022 World Cup, with new suppliers Majid having already released one in January.
Group B: United States
Jerseys: Home and Away (White/Blue) Date released: September 21, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
The USMNT kit for the World Cup placed the national team crest in the middle of the new jersey, with an NFL-inspired look about the simplistic home shirt.
Group B: Wales
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Wales wasted no time in updating their kit, following playoff glory for The Dragons, with a round neck simple design for the home jersey and slick flag inspired V neck collar for the away kit.
Group C: Argentina
Jerseys: Home and Away (Blue and White/Purple) Date released: July/August 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
La Albiceleste joined a block of adidas kits released in July and August, with the home shirt a nod to their 1990s kits. The purple away jersey is an odd pick for Lionel Scaloni’s side.
Group C: Saudi Arabia
Jerseys: Home and Away (White/Green) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Saudi Arabia freshened up their World Cup kits as part of the Nike reveals in September, and the styles of both home and away kits offered a tweak to their former jerseys.
Group C: Mexico
Jerseys: Home and Away (Green and Red/White) Date released: August 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Mexico confirmed their home kit earlier this year, but the August release of an away kit caused a stir, with an Aztec-inspired red pattern on a shirt made from full recyclable material.
Group C: Poland
Jerseys: Home and Away (White/Red) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Poland kept it classic in their thinking for a 2022 World Cup kit, with the Polish national symbol of the white eagle featured on the sleeves.
Group D: France
Jerseys: Home and Away (Blue/White) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Defending champions France also kept it simple with their new kit, with discreet Les Bleus tricolors on the sleeve an added extra.
Group D: Australia
Jerseys: Home and Away (Yellow/Blue) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Australia’s home and away kit updates are based on a nod to the country’s natural beauty and surrounding oceans, as Graham Arnold’s side participated in their fifth straight World Cup.
Group D: Denmark
Jerseys: Home, Away and Third (Red/White/Black) Date released: September 19, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Hummel Where to buy: DBU official website
Denmark’s kit was the simplest design at the tournament, with Hummel releasing a monochrome home and away jersey which is the height of minimalism. But the company have revealed there was a reason for something so simple, with the shirt’s basic nature “a protest against Qatar and its human rights record.” The firm said in an Instagram post in September, “we don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives.”
Group D: Tunisia
Tunisia were one of the last sides to release their World Cup kit, with the release coming on September 29. The graphic on the front of is reportedly based on the ‘Armor of Hannibal’, an artifact found in Tunisia in 1909 that has been attributed to legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal.
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 29, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Kappa Where to buy: Kappa official website
Group E: Spain
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/Blue) Date released: August 31, 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Spain’s away jersey was an early contender as the neutral’s pick of the bunch, with the iconic red home kit a look back to Euro ‘96. The light blue away effort for the reverse could also be a popular choice.
Group E: Costa Rica
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: August 2022 Kit manufacturer: New Balance Where to buy: New Balance official website
Costa Rica’s kit designs came with thick blue cuffs and white trim on both their red home and white away jerseys.
Group E: Germany
Jerseys: Home and Away (Black and White/Red) Date released: August 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Germany and adidas go hand in hand with kit designs, and the 2022 World Cup home shirt is a take on their first jersey as a united nation, with a dominant black stripe through the middle. They went for an unusual choice of black meshed with red for the away kit.
Group E: Japan
Jerseys: Home and Away (Blue/White) Date released: August 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Japan joined the adidas dominated Group E with a fresh kit that features busy glitched graphic design on the home shirt in reference to the nation’s love of Origami.
Group F: Belgium
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: adidas Where to buy: adidas official website
Belgium’s kit choice was an unpopular one on social media. The added flames on the sleeves represented a particularly odd choice for the Red Devils but the simplistic white away kit rescues it somewhat.
Group F: Canada
Canada confirmed they will not be updating their kit for the 2022 World Cup. Instead, they stuck with the shirts donned during a successful qualification campaign, due to the Canadian FA’s kit deal with Nike.
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: June, 2021 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Group F: Morocco
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
Morocco’s updated 2022 World Cup kits are amongst the most straightforward at the competition, with a block of red offering a nod to the country’s flag, plus dashes of green and white on the chest.
Group F: Croatia
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red and White Check/Blue) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Croatia have not played around too much with their iconic red and white check home jersey, with the badge more central. The dark blue away kit has also been updated.
Group G: Brazil
Jerseys: Home and Away (Yellow/Blue) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Brazil have followed Croatia and made only minor changes to arguably the most famous kit in international football. However, they have opted for some minor updates to their famous yellow home kit, including a debossed jaguar pattern and a neat button collar.
Group G: Switzerland
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
Switzerland continued the trend of replicating iconic former kits for their trip to Qatar. A bold V-neck collar is the main new feature of the home shirt, alongside striped patterns on the shoulders, with simple white away kit also updated.
Group G: Serbia
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
Serbia’s reshuffled design includes a gold trim added to their red home kit with the new Serbian national team badge included on both jerseys for the first time.
Group G: Cameroon
Jerseys: Home, Away and Third (Green/Red/White) Date released: November 5, 2022 Kit manufacturer: One All Sports Where to buy: One All Sports website
Cameroon ended their contract with Le Coq Sportif earlier this year, with One All Sports taking on the World Cup kit design, but wrangling over the validity of that decision to ditch their former kit maker mean that the African nation was the last to announce their kits, on November 5.
Group H: Portugal
Jerseys: Home and Away (Maroon and Green/White) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
Portugal look to challenge Iberian rivals Spain for the best kit at the 2022 World Cup with a bold split design for their home shirt. The new jersey features a slashed 50/50 look representing the Portuguese flag of maroon and green, while the away white kit also incorporates the national symbol.
Group H: Ghana
Jerseys: Home and Away (White/Red) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
The Black Stars have updated to a minimalist design, in a change from their previous busy geometric patterns. Ghana will be in plain white again with a traditional star in the middle of the chest, as per their national symbol. There is also a very cool update on their red away kit.
Group H: Uruguay
Jerseys: Home and Away (Blue/White) Date released: September 2022 Kit manufacturer: Puma Where to buy: Puma official website
Uruguay have taken simplicity to another level in their World Cup kits with the famous light blue home, and white away, shirts featuring a button collar similar to Brazil’s update.
Group H: South Korea
Jerseys: Home and Away (Red/Multi) Date released: September 15, 2022 Kit manufacturer: Nike Where to buy: Nike official website
South Korea was the 13th Nike update ahead of the World Cup, with their red home kit updated with triangles on the side of the shirt blending into the shorts to create the impression of a tail. However, their new away jersey is the real eye catcher, with a bold new design from Nike, featuring a black base, with a mixed graphic splashed across it.
