Countdown to the World Cup: Iconic Jerseys and Their Stories

Some say human life can be measured by the World Cup. The timeline from childhood to adolescence and beyond is etched in four-year intervals. A collection of football memories – favorite teams, revered heroes, and their iconic jerseys. Today, we discuss those jerseys. Those jerseys that speak stories. Timeless masterpieces. But what makes one jersey’s legacy so enduring? Matthew Wolff is known for designing Nigeria’s highly popular jersey and the winning French jersey in the 2018 World Cup. This American designer’s portfolio includes numerous teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Major League Soccer, and the National Women’s Soccer League, as well as the United Soccer League club ‘Vermont Green,’ which he co-founded. Therefore, he has good knowledge of jerseys. Wolff explains, ‘Many of my favorite football jerseys are from my childhood in the 90s and early 2000s. That’s a stage of life when players seem like real superheroes and their jerseys feel magical.’ ‘Mexico 1998, USA 1994, Germany 1990 and 1994, Japan 1998, Nike’s 2002 set, even Cameroon’s sleeveless t-shirt from 2002. As a small child, these are special jerseys to me because of how big and grand they seemed.’ ‘What happens while wearing a jersey also makes that jersey iconic. As time passes, our perspective on football jerseys also changes.’ Although Wolff believes it is difficult for a jersey to gain true ‘iconic’ status nowadays. He adds, ‘The landscape has changed and the global market is completely saturated.’ ‘There are so many teams and so many new jerseys for both clubs and countries now, it’s really hard for just one jersey to stand out above all.’ ‘While it’s inspiring to see the beauty and culture of nations presented through apparel design, it raises questions about consumerism. It raises questions about how much real cultural expression there is compared to the production cycle and how quickly we are changing these clothes.’ Considering this, we are looking back at the past. Remembering jerseys always brings a healthy glimpse of old memories – those hazy childhood memories that are relived through a golden screen. It’s natural to want to include only the dark prints and loose jerseys of the 90s and early 2000s, or the designs from the late 80s, which have now become an integral part of lifestyle. Therefore, to avoid the dominance of a single style, a criterion has been set here: no more than one jersey from a World Cup, and only one jersey per country. 10. Cameroon’s Home Jersey, 2002 This might be a bit controversial as this jersey never made it to the World Cup. But that’s what makes it unforgettable. Cameroon adopted a sleeveless jersey for the Africa Cup of Nations, but by the 2002 tournament, FIFA had a different idea. Former midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba told BBC Sport Africa, ‘Everyone in Africa wanted to wear that jersey.’ Serena Williams, inspired by it, wore a similar-looking outfit at the French Open that summer. However, her request to put her lucky number 26 on the back was rejected by the organizers. Instead, Puma was asked to add sleeves to the design for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. But this was not the last time Cameroon’s jersey designers angered FIFA officials – two years later, the governing body of football also banned the ‘onesie’ jersey, which was sewn together with shorts from the same fabric. 9. England’s Away Jersey, 1966 This instantly recognizable jersey can be easily seen in barbecues and beer gardens across England this summer. The ‘Three Lions’ red jersey is iconic because of what it represents – the nation’s only World Cup victory, a historic win at Wembley, Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick, and the ball that (perhaps) crossed the goal line. It immediately brings to mind the image of Bobby Moore being carried on his teammates’ shoulders, lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy. The jerseys from 1982 and 1990 were also contenders, but with only one jersey from England to be included in the list, this is the one. 8. France’s Home Jersey, 1982 Recalling the semi-final defeat to West Germany in 1982, France captain Michel Platini said, ‘It was my most beautiful game. No film or play could capture so much contradiction and emotion. It was perfect. It was sublime.’ The terrifying challenge by goalkeeper Harald Schumacher on Patrick Battiston, the thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time, the first penalty shootout in World Cup history. France looked calm and attractive even in the sweltering heat of Seville – that was the main attraction of the timeless home jersey. 7. Netherlands’ Home Jersey, 1974 Rebellious, stubborn, and incredibly attractive. Johan Cruyff was the face of the Netherlands’ ‘Total Football’ revolution. By the 1990 World Cup, Cruyff had won three European Cups with Ajax and been awarded the Ballon d’Or twice. This World Cup witnessed his most famous moment. At the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, when the Netherlands faced Sweden, the ‘Cruyff turn’ was born. Although the long-haired playmaker wore a different jersey from his teammates, whose sleeves had Adidas’s three stripes. Cruyff was contracted with Puma and had already refused to wear Adidas shoes – after clashes between brands, players, and Dutch football bosses, a decision was made to remove one stripe from his jersey. Cruyff wrote in his autobiography, ‘The KNVB (Dutch Football Association) had signed a deal with Adidas without telling the players. They thought they owned the jerseys, so they didn’t need to ask the players.’ ‘But the head sticking out of it is mine,’ I told them. 6. Croatia’s Home Jersey, 1998 Davor Šuker, France 1998, with the red and white checkered design scattered on the shoulders. Excellent. The pattern became Croatia’s national symbol, and it made them instantly recognizable on the football field. Croatia impressed at Euro 96 and wore an excellent jersey there too, but their first World Cup seven years after declaring independence was a poignant sporting moment for the country. Šuker – along with Robert Jarni, Jovoimr Boban, Robert Prosinečki, and others – led his team to the semi-finals, where the Real Madrid striker gave his team a 1-0 lead against the hosts. France, inspired by Lilian Thuram, then came back and won. Wearing an equally iconic blue away jersey, Croatia secured third place by defeating the Netherlands in the play-off. 5. Nigeria’s Home Jersey, 2018 Nigeria’s 2018 jersey was a phenomenon. It is a rare example that became iconic not based on who wore it on the field, but because of its cultural and fashion impact. 3 million people pre-ordered the jersey, and there was a line outside Nike’s flagship store in London as soon as it was released. Designer Wolff explains, ‘We took direct references from Nigeria’s own jersey history. The 2002 jersey was a reference – I wanted to bring back that bright green color. And we were clearly inspired by the 1994-95 jersey.’ ‘Our goal wasn’t to invent something out of thin air, but to pull threads that were already connected to the country’s football identity.’ ‘In many ways, the timing was perfect. Nigeria was experiencing a global cultural moment in fashion, music, poetry, art, film, etc. The jersey was released amidst that wave, and it seems to have had an impact because the wave was growing.’ ‘The entire Nike team that brought it together deserves credit. A jersey doesn’t become such a big phenomenon because of just one designer. It becomes a phenomenon because many people did very thoughtful and detailed work.’ 4. Brazil’s Home Jersey, 1970 There is hardly any other country in world football that is as synonymous with a color as Brazil. Even in grainy old video footage, their 1970 yellow (canary-yellow) jersey looks vibrant and attractive. It was very fitting for the world champion players wearing that jersey in the Mexican sun. Pele, Carlos Alberto, Rivelino, Jairzinho. Watching the old video clips shown at every World Cup, you feel like you are sitting in the Azteca Stadium watching those great Brazilians defeat Italy – their beautiful and simple yellow jersey is a masterpiece of football folklore. 3. USA’s Away Jersey, 1994 When the USA was given the responsibility of hosting the 1994 World Cup, former US Soccer President Alan Rothenberg recalls, ‘Outside our borders, most football fans in the world had many doubts. They were scratching their heads, thinking, how can this country that doesn’t play football host such an event?’ The players – many of whom were on US central contracts rather than representing professional clubs – didn’t want to be a laughingstock. But when Adidas released the jersey for the tournament, fearless center-back Alexi Lalas and his teammates felt like they were being mocked. The garment, which looked like stone-washed denim with large stars printed on it, could have been purely American, but from a football perspective, it was extremely garish, and the team feared becoming a laughingstock. At least the proposed colorful jersey was not implemented. However, it became iconic, and both the players who wore it and the fans who looked up to them loved it. The USA’s performance in that tournament, where they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by the eventual winners Brazil, undoubtedly helped. It’s possible this jersey making the top three is influenced by the World Cup returning to the USA this summer – but 1994 was a tournament of unforgettable jerseys. 2. Argentina’s Away Jersey, 1986 Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final victory against England witnessed two of history’s most famous goals – Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ and that magical, unstoppable dribble from his own half. But the story of the jersey Argentina wore that day is equally fascinating. To avoid clashing with England’s white jersey, FIFA informed Argentina they would have to wear their dark blue away jersey. But in the previous victory against Uruguay, in the stifling heat of Mexico, the players felt that jersey was heavy and difficult to breathe in. The jersey manufacturer ‘Le Coq Sportif’ had no alternative. So, it is said that coach Carlos Bilardo sent his staff to ‘Tepito,’ a famous area for counterfeit goods in Mexico City, to find new jerseys. It is said that Maradona made the final decision among the designs brought from there. He uttered the immortal words, ‘What a beautiful jersey, Carlos. We will beat the English in this jersey.’ In the 24 hours before Argentina faced England, the jersey managers spent time sewing numbers and national emblems onto those jerseys. Thirty-six years later, England midfielder Steve Hodge put the jersey he swapped with Maradona that day up for auction. It sold for £7.1 million. 1. West Germany’s Home Jersey, 1990 At number one is an excellent ‘classic design,’ a jersey that collectors highly seek and is constantly presented as a guide for new generation jerseys – West Germany’s iconic jersey from the 1990 World Cup. Speaking to BBC World Service’s ‘Sporting Witness,’ author of ‘A Culture of Kits,’ John Blair, said, ‘It has to be seen in the context of before, when jerseys were very plain and simple in terms of design. It’s a combination of a truly excellent design for its era, a winning team, and the emergence of a truly effective design for the first time.’ However, this jersey was almost canceled before the World Cup. It was first worn in Euro 88, where the host team was defeated in the semi-finals. Head coach Franz Beckenbauer intervened, stating he wanted to keep the old design, so designer Ina Franzmann had already started working on a new design. Franzmann, who also designed tennis apparel for Adidas and was not a football fan herself, was given the responsibility of bringing ‘a small revolution’ to the national team’s jersey. She said, ‘Horst Dassler (son of founder Adolf) himself came with the idea of using some colors, so it was natural to use the German colors.’ Dassler died in 1987. Therefore, he did not live to see West Germany lift the World Cup and capture everyone’s attention in Italia 90. For Franzmann, this was a very important moment, although the real appreciation only came decades later. She added, ‘Years later, this jersey became a masterpiece. I feel very proud seeing people’s interest in it. Everyone wants to know the story behind it.’