Smaller Nations Shine in Our Ranking of Nike’s New National Team Kits
Nike has just announced a new set of jerseys for its top national teams, which includes reigning European champions Portugal, World Cup winners France, the Netherlands, and England, along with underdogs Norway and Finland.
Each federation has received both a home and an away jersey for the upcoming season. Generally, Nike keeps it pretty simple, relying on solid color-blocking (with the exception of Croatia’s iconic checkerboard pattern, of course) and subtle details to provide very clean looks for each of its nations.
While the home jerseys predominantly feature a round neck, the away jerseys opt for a smart collar with buttons, and a slightly wilder design. Below, we’ve ranked each of the nations based on their jerseys, highlighting the better of the two.
9. Turkey
Just because Turkey’s jersey ranks last doesn’t mean it’s not good. The decision to put the Nike Swoosh on the center of the chest, just above the star and crescent graphic, is a bold one — and it’s paid off. The jersey is clean, albeit a little too cookie-cutter simple.
8. France
Nike’s French home jersey is a nod to the iconic marinière design, which has been a mainstay on France jerseys over the years. However, the blue bands with the contrasting red stripe make the jersey look more like a training shirt than something to win championships in. Again, this is not a bad kit, but it’s not great either.
7. Portugal
Portugal’s classy home kit saves the European champions from occupying the last place, as the striped away kit gives off ugly Christmas sweater vibes. The home kit, on the other hand, adds gold detailing to a crisp design and is fit for a team of champions.
6. England
England jerseys generally lend themselves to very clean designs, and Nike’s decision to put both the crest and the Swoosh in the center of the chest on the home kit is a stroke of genius. Unfortunately, that’s where the genius ends, as England’s home kit is almost too simple — though you could argue that that’s the point. The away kit, on the other hand, features a ’90s-inspired print and is the louder of the two.
5. Poland
Poland’s home kit screams vintage in all of the right ways. The enlarged crest — smack in the middle of the chest — sits in stark contrast to the white base, as does the red trim on the fold-down collar and sleeves. Subtle touches such as the word “Polska,” which appears at the nape of the neck when the collar is lifted up, make this one of the better kits in the collection.
4. Croatia
Croatia’s checkerboard jerseys are historically either incredible pieces of art or terrible eyesores. This Croatia home jersey is most definitely the former, as Nike has extended the checkerboard pattern to the kit’s sleeves. On the flip side, the away jersey is one to forget, as it looks more like a checkered race flag than a football kit.
3. Finland
Finland’s home jersey was one of the more surprising designs, with Nike opting to lean heavily on the flag. A white background provides the base for a blue cross that stretches the length and breadth of the jersey. A cross alone, though, would not have landed Finland in the top 3. It’s the fact that Nike made the blue cross a gradient that fades to a lighter blue at the bottom of the kit that has us putting this kit on our Christmas list.
2. Netherlands
The Netherlands is one of the very few teams whose home and away jerseys are both brilliant. The bright orange home jersey is predictable, but stylish, however, it’s the inverted away jersey that steals the show. Flashes of vivid orange on the crest, side stripes, Nike Swoosh, and collar light up the all-black jersey.
1. Norway
Similar to the Netherlands, Norway’s home jersey is exactly how you’d have imagined it, featuring a deep red base with navy blue and white detailing. It’s clean, simple, and highly wearable off the pitch. The Scandinavian nation’s away jersey, on the other hand, is the cream of the crop. It is inspired by the icy terrain and glaciers of Nordic lands and features a frozen pattern across its entirety. An icy kit for an ice-cold finisher in Erling Haaland.
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