An (Arguably) Definitive Ranking of the 2023 World Cup Kits

Eight months later, and it’s that time again. Fresh off the viral success of our 2022 men’s World Cup kit rankings, we decided to run it back for this year’s tournament! What better way to prepare for the biggest competition on the planet than by determining who’s already won before the teams take to the pitch?

Return readers will note that we took a slightly different approach this time around. Contrary to last year’s edition when we ranked every country by uniform package before naming our personal top ten favorite shirts, we decided to produce one master list of every individual jersey this year. This means that the excellent kits and forgettable strips will be evaluated separately, instead of every team receiving one combined score.

*Disclaimer: Not every country reveals their kits for the tournament well in advance, and it is possible that some uniforms will have been updated/released after publication time of this list. Please forgive us for any unintentional oversights.

Enough table-setting - let’s begin! In order of most appalling to most aesthetically pleasing…

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#62 - South Korea (Home)

Plain and hard to look at? That’s a combo that gives this kit the bottom slot. The pink and red combo doesn’t work, and whatever pattern they tried to add just makes it look like the shirt’s permanently wrinkled. – Ben

#61 - Philippines (Away)

It’s not easy to put four different colors on a shirt and still make it bland, but Adidas managed to do that here. Looks like a default jersey that a youth soccer coach would pick out of a bin for kids to wear at a summer camp. – Gabriel

#60 - China (Away)

This is a rejected McDonald’s uniform. Not even the strength of a coursing river could save this one. – Ben

#59 - Panama (Away)

Speaking of default youth soccer shirts…

World Cups only come around every four years and even less frequently for countries like Panama. Make the most of the occasion! Why do manufacturers insist on doing the bare minimum? – Gabriel

#58 - Costa Rica (Home)

Looking at all of the other Adidas offerings, you would think that Costa Rica forgot about the planning meeting. It’s plain and uninspiring. A surprising letdown from Adidas to be honest.

– Ben

#57 - Norway (Home)

They literally just turned Norway’s flag into a shirt. It’s boring, but why should we expect any effort from a federation that has routinely been called out for unequal treatment of its women’s team? – Gabriel

#56 - Australia (Away)

As the co-host of the tourney, you would think Australia would be keen to put all of their cards on the table with their kits. But it really is the tale of two kits (which you’ll see later). This is why you find this patternless, teal jersey in the down under of the rankings. – Ben

#55 - Canada (Away)

The Canadian women won Olympic gold two years ago, and the federation responded by slashing the team’s budget. So it checks out that they would have to wear such a plain away kit. Fortunately, their home strip is more befitting of the reigning gold medalists. – Gabriel

#54 - Norway (Away)

Remember Norway’s home kit three places ago? Well this one isn’t much better. I think the only reason this one is ranked higher is the white is a little less straining on the eyes. Do better.

– Ben

#53- Panama (Home)

There’s at least a visible hexagon pattern to give this jersey a little bit of creativity, but you’re not going to earn a lot of points by making two identical shirts and just changing the primary color between home and away. – Gabriel

#52 - South Korea (Away)

USA! USA! USA! Wait. This isn’t a throwback USA national team jersey? There are other countries that have the red-white-blue color scheme? Either way, this kit, with the plain side piping and “wrinkle” pattern, isn’t the best take at a white away kit. – Ben

#51 - England (Home)

Your team are the European champions and nicknamed ‘The Lionesses’ and this is the home jersey you give them? There’s no rule stating that England must wear plain white shirts, I can’t understand why they don’t branch out more. – Gabriel

#50 - Vietnam (Away)

As harsh as it sounds, this looks like something a resort worker would wear. The large collar docks it points, and the marble-y pattern reminds me of cheap marble. Next! – Ben

#49 - Sweden (Away)

You would think the land of Ikea, Volvo and H&M would be able to produce something that doesn't look like a shirt that had an accident with some bleach. I think they might be going for the look of air bubbles trapped under ice, but I don’t think that works really well. – Ben

#48 - Vietnam (Home)

Not the most thrilling shirt we’ll see in Australia/New Zealand, but red and gold is always a winning color combination (yes, I know where those colors come from, don’t @ me). I can’t decide if I like the subtle diamond pattern here, or if it just makes the jersey look like a red pillow. – Gabriel

#47 - Nigeria (Home)

Here’s the thing with Nigeria's jerseys. The standard is high. They’ve produced some of the most iconic kits in recent memory and this release just falls flat. Even the traditional pattern on the sleeve cuffs doesn't redeem this mint green shirt. – Ben

#46 - Portugal (Home)

Portugal were never going to stray from their classic red/green template, but this is in the same plain vein as England and Norway. All we’re asking for is a little flavor! – Gabriel

#45 - Zambia (Alternate)

Nothing much to say about a plain white shirt. The badge saves this one. – Ben

#44 - Haiti (Away)

I actually really like Haiti’s combination of jerseys this year, but the white shirt is the weakest of the three. The pattern doesn’t work as well on this one as it does on the other tops, and it lessens the effect of the national crest and the collar and sleeve stripes. – Gabriel

#43 - Zambia (Away)

Simpler than Haiti’s white top, but it leaves me feeling the same way. I like the diagonal stripe design on their home jersey, but it’s not needed on this one. – Gabriel

#42 - France (Away)

Uninspiring and pretty random if I do say so myself. The artsy muted pattern will be hard to catch on camera and the unique sleeve cuffs won’t save this one either. – Ben

#41 - Philippines (Home)

With blue and yellow you’re always going to have a winning combo (Go BLUE). But that’s about all this kit has going for it. The default pattern doesn't call into mind any Filipino-esque touches and is another surprising dud from Adidas. – Ben

#40 - England (Away)

JOLLY OLE ENGLAND. I visited your shores and now I get to roast your kit. The blue is a bit better and more royal than the men’s “Icelandic” kit from the Qatar world cup, but the pattern isn’t anything too special. Hopefully the Lionesses will help inspire some good vibes in this shirt. – Ben

#39 - Costa Rica (Away)

Odd choice of colors for a Costa Rica jersey, but it’s hard to go wrong with pinstripes. I won’t be purchasing this kit, but I don't hate it, either. – Gabriel

#38 - France (Home)

I don’t mind the pattern, but I would rate this shirt higher if Nike swapped the shade of blue on the collar triangles with the blue that they used as the base. Light blue doesn’t really work for France. And the red line on the sleeves isn’t necessary. – Gabriel

#37 - United States (Away)

Little separates the USA Away and Dutch Home kits. It’s the same pattern used on both, with the only difference being the color. I don’t know why Nike uses this off-red for USA kits but I’m not a fan. I think they’re going for a faux camo look here, but it fails to impress. What will impress me is the trophy that will be raised wearing this kit though. – Ben

#36 - Netherlands (Home)

Reiterating some of my comments from the USA away kit- this pattern is oddly used for the Netherlands home kit. I love the orange but that might be a bit biased... – Ben Spoelhof

#35 - Netherlands (Away)

I know I often criticize manufacturers and federations for not putting enough effort into World Cup jerseys. This is an example of putting too much effort into your jersey. To be fair, they did apply the colors of the Dutch flag here, but when you’re so accustomed to seeing the team wear orange (sorry, "Oranje"), this is a jarring alternative. I think if France or the U.S. donned this top, I’d like it more. – Gabriel

#34 - New Zealand (Away)

White shirt with blue coral trim. Nothing much to note here for the co-host’s away kit. – Ben

#33 - South Africa (Alternate)

I want to love this shirt, I really do. They swung for the fences, I’m a big fan of the logos, and the pattern on the sleeves is great. But the overall color scheme is just such a strange eyesore. It gives me flashbacks to Liverpool’s infamous 2013/14 third kit. – Gabriel

#32 - Germany (Home)

We universally docked points if the national team kit was used for both men and women. Not because of the quality of the design, but because it's kinda lazy. I would’ve loved to see a unique kit paired with our next German entry. – Ben

#31 - Spain (Home)

Same criteria applied from the German kit. It’s classy, but again, it’s the same jersey that the Spanish men wore in last year’s World Cup, which is unfortunate. Either have both national teams wear all the same uniforms or give them each a unique set to sport. None of this halfway-crossover stuff. – Gabriel

#30 - China (Home)

Guess who gets the pleasure of reviewing both Chinese kits? This guy! This jersey gets better marks because of the overall design of this one. The subtle pattern paired with the iconic Chinese red is an elegant touch. I wish the yellow trim was a bit less harsh on the eye, but it’s not bad enough to drag this kit too far down. – Ben

#29 - Brazil (Home)

Brazil were never going to stray from their iconic yellow/green template, but this is in the same vein as Portugal. All we’re asking for is a little flavor! This one only cracks the top 30 because of how strongly linked Brazil’s home shirts are with the World Cup for both men and women.

– Gabriel

#28 - Morocco (Home)

The shiny zig-zag pattern rescues this shirt from lower-half mediocrity. I love Morocco’s federation logo, and green was an obvious color choice for the collar. – Gabriel

#27 - Portugal (Away)

This is… something. I feel the same way about this jersey as I do South Africa’s third kit, only this time it’s the colors that make sense and the pattern that is WTF-wonky. Go off, I guess.

– Gabriel

#26 - Argentina (Home)

*See Spain and Germany Home reviews. Not a bad kit, just wanted something else for this tourney. – Ben

#25 - Spain (Away)

I get what they were trying to do with this one. The coral pattern is a nod to the reefs off the coast of Spain, but it looks a little too much like a purple disease spreading across the shirt. I love the creativity but they might’ve outstretched themselves on this one. – Ben

#24 - Italy (Home)

A classy kit and I love the iconic blue. This would be the only time where I don’t love the Adidas stripes on the shoulder. They kind of take away from the overall design of the kit. The pattern is great though. – Ben

#23 - Haiti (Home)

See what I mean? The lovely pattern Haiti chose for their uniforms just works better on this shirt than it does on the white version. The red accents pop effectively against the deep blue color here. – Gabriel

#22 - Ireland (Home)

Reminiscent of the iconic green hills of Ireland, this emerald kit is classy and bold. The pinstripes are an elegant touch and make this jersey a wearable classic. – Ben

#21 - Denmark (Home)

Does it remind me of a comic book? Yes. Does it scream Denmark (literally)? You betcha. Does it just miss out of the top 20? It does, but not for lack of trying. The Danish red with flashes of white really make this a fun kit to look at. Well done to the Nordic nation. – Ben

#20 - Jamaica (Away)

It’s not every day that you see a brown soccer jersey. It’s even more rare to see a brown jersey that actually looks good. Props to Jamaica and Adidas for this smart creation. Love the red and green stripes on the collar and sleeves. – Gabriel

#19 - New Zealand (Home)

A prime kit for one of the co-hosts. This pattern is creative, subtle and culturally New Zealand. I love when a black kit turns out amazing. – Ben

#18 - Switzerland (Home)

Pinstripes! Three logos! A mountain landscape pattern! So much happening here! I think the Puma designers were hyped up on some Swiss chocolate when they made this shirt, but I really like it. The only thing I take points off for is the darkest mountain layer at the bottom. It makes it look like the person wearing the jersey spilled a drink on themselves. – Gabriel

#17 - Zambia (Home)

Still a simple shirt, but the multicolor stripes add so much to this version of the jersey. Green, black, red, and orange is a killer palette. Zambia’s baller logo doesn’t hurt, either. – Gabriel

#16 - South Africa (Home)

This marks the point in the rankings where the jerseys start getting really nice, in my opinion. South Africa’s shade of green is one of my favorite colors, and it accents the gold base so sharply here. This is a clean outfit for Banyana Banyana to be rocking Down Under. – Gabriel

#15 - Ireland (Away)

There are white kits, and then there’s this beauty. Can’t go wrong with a green and white combo (almost as good as blue and yellow.) – Ben

#14 - Haiti (Alternate)

My personal favorite of the three Haitian submissions for the competition because of how clearly the ornate pattern pops against the red color. I will be rooting for a Haiti Cinderella story at this tournament, and their great uniforms are just one reason why. – Gabriel

#13 - Brazil (Away)

Ben and I disagree here. (Ben: “YES WE DO”). He’s not a fan of the leaf pattern on the sleeves, but I love it. It’s an appropriate nod to the country’s tropical setting and a color that pairs nicely with the shade of blue that Brazil often uses. This one’s the more creative of the team’s two jerseys and reflective of the flair that we expect from Brazil on the big stage. – Gabriel

#12 - Jamaica (Home)

If you told me to whip up a kit that screamed, “Jamaica!”, I’m pretty sure my heart would make this kit. The iconic colorway matched with the pinstripes produces an instant classic. – Ben

#11- Denmark (Away)

Do I understand the patterns here? I do not. Do I love this jersey anyway? I do. Denmark and Hummel found a way to make a white kit cool. Great federation logo and a wonderful collar inset. Same here, Stephen. Same here. – Gabriel

#10 - United States (Home)

As we’ve seen, not every gamble pays off when it comes to unorthodox soccer kits. But Nike got this one right. It’s just plain fun - which is exactly how fans of the USWNT would describe the players wearing it. Dripping the four stars atop the crest in gold is a fitting tribute to the reigning world champions. If the US wants to add a fifth at this year’s competition, they’ll have to do it the hard way. But they’ve already got one thing going for them. – Gabriel

#9 - South Africa (Away)

If we were to rate these all as whole packages, South Africa would have been quite high on this list. A big part is this gem of a kit. The traditional green and yellow are quintessentially South African and the subtle pattern adds to the appeal of the package. – Ben

#8 - Italy (Away)

The Italians aren’t usually known for their away kits given how iconic the Azzurri shirt is. So it speaks volumes about the quality of this marble-inspired number that it ranks above the famous blue jersey in our list. It conjures up images of Roman architecture and drips with class. Italy are not one of the favorites on the field this year, but unsurprisingly, they still excel in the fashion department. *"Nessun Dorma" and White Lotus Season 2 theme intensifying* – Gabriel

#7 - Canada (Home)

Do you hear that? It’s the crunch of leaves on a fall day. It smells of maple syrup being boiled down in a giant pot next to a cabin. You turn the corner and see this classic of a kit hanging on a tree. It’s that good. The geometric pattern, the red and black tones, the iconic leaf all scream OH CANADA. – Ben

#6 - Nigeria (Away)

Redeeming themselves from the mint home kit, Nike redeemed themselves with a BANGER of a Nigerian home jersey. The traditional pattern set on black is a wonderful ode to the rich culture of the African nation. – Ben

#5 - Japan (Away)

A thing of beauty. Japan is known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, and this definitely evokes visions of sunrises and cherry blossoms. If one of the background actors in Barbie isn’t sporting this in a dance sequence, it will be a wasted opportunity from Greta Gerwig.

– Gabriel

#4 - Australia (Home)

Another gorgeous combination of gold and green. The Aussie jersey features probably the best federation logo of any team competing in the World Cup, and its color is perfect for a country known for its sunshine and warmth. The Matildas capture fourth place in our standings, and don’t be surprised to see them finish in a similar position on home soil at the tournament.

– Gabriel

#3 - Argentina (Away)

Close your eyes. Imagine the Patagonian hills drifting all the way to the ocean. It’s a misty day and the earth is wet with dew. Open your eyes. Were you thinking of this impressionist take on the Argentina landscape? Well that was the inspiration for this beautiful kit. They even break some symmetrical boundaries by the mismatching shoulder stripes. Hopefully the women’s team can follow their male counterparts and make a magical run to the final. – Ben

#2 - Colombia (Away)

I must confess that I wasn’t blown away by this shirt upon first viewing. But I came to my senses to recognize the beauty that was before me and, thanks to Ben’s roommate, learned about the important place that Colombia holds in the world of astronomy. Given that meaningful cultural link and the audacious spectacle that this jersey provides, I am happy to rate it so highly. Please excuse me while I go watch Interstellar and weep while looking at pictures from the James Webb Telescope. Vamos, Colombia. – Gabriel

#1 - Germany (Away)

Inspired by the dense black forests of Germany, this beautiful away kit is our number one choice for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Adidas have created an instant classic with its foliage pattern and varied turquoise colorway. Match those green tones with the gold “Three Stripes” on the shoulders, and it’s already got color theory on its side. – Ben

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And there you have it! Germany claims the top overall spot in our inaugural Women’s World Cup kit rankings. Now, can they do likewise on the field and lift the trophy?

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In conclusion, watch women’s sports, pay female athletes what they deserve, and Go, go, USA!