Almost every team competing at Qatar will sport brand new ‘home’ and ‘away’ kit designs – the latter necessary in case of a clash of colours with opponents.

The sports gear manufacturers jumped at the chance to take lucrative orders and show off their creations. Indeed, for the likes of Nike, Adidas, Joma Sport, Puma and others, their role was two-fold: Make each country’s supporters proud and ensure they are instantly recognisable on the field.

There was, of course, a huge financial motive, as they have already sold replica kits worth millions of dollars to the respective fans, with plenty more cash to come.

Most of the Qatar team kits are already on sale online, and they are stunning. Football and fashion have long been solid partners, so do yourself a favour and Google these incredible designs, bearing in mind that they are of necessity also extremely robust and functional, especially in the warm desert climate.

These are my Top 10 picks:

Croatia

While Croatia’s home jersey remains the unmistakable red and white checks, the away kit dazzles with its dark blue torso plus light blue checkerboard sleeves. (Nike)

Japan

Who would have thought that origami and soccer jerseys could have anything in common? Well, Japan’s beautiful light blue home jersey has underlying graphic designs inspired by the ancient paper-folding art form. (Adidas)

Portugal

Portugal’s fans have the habit of wrapping the green and red national flag around their bodies after a victory, and the world cup home jersey is cleverly designed to look just like that. The away kit is not too shabby either. (Nike)

France

The French team is known as ‘Le Bleus’ and will wear traditional blue, but it’s the plain white away kit that demands attention. Well, maybe not so plain: A close-up look reveals subtle patterns depicting the nation’s history and famous landmarks, such as the Eifel Tower. (Nike)

Argentina

Traditionalists will love Argentina’s home kit: The famous white and baby blue vertical stripes, offset by black stripes across the shoulders. Uncomplicated and perfect for the cup contenders. (Adidas)

Australia

Australia’s home kit is out of this world: Vibrant gold jersey with green trim and green shorts. Sand meets forest – very cunningly representative of the Land of Oz. Clever. Not sure how long they will be seen in the competition, though. (Nike)

Germany

Germany’s home gear is my favourite. The white jersey with the broad black vertical stripe down the centre (with gold player numbers) is plain, simple and stunning. Add the black shorts and it’s as close to a tuxedo as kit can be. (Adidas)

Netherlands

If it’s the Netherlands, it must be orange; but this time round the colour has an updated shade, shine and sheen so magnificent it could be worn on the runway. (Nike)

 England

A bit retro, but England’s white-with-blue-trim kit is understated elegance. Maybe by going back to the 1966 style, they believe they could repeat that winning effort. (Nike)

Qatar

And finally, Qatar’s kit leaves nobody guessing. It is pure maroon, like the national flag, and without doubt, lets everyone know who is hosting Qatar World Cup 2022. (Nike)

#TacklingQatar2022: Manned by soccer fundi Dave Savides, the Corner Shop is the place to be for Soccer World Cup news. Savides, the long-time editor of the Zululand Observer, is tackling the coverage of the world’s greatest footie extravaganza for Caxton Local Media.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like our Facebook page  and follow us on Twitter.

For news straight to your phone invite us:

WhatsApp – 060 784 2695

Instagram – zululand_observer