How the USMNT 2026 World Cup kits came to be after 2022 criticism

Steven GoffMon, March 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

0

The U.S. World Cup team this summer will wear uniforms it helped design — a process that began with discontent at a photo shoot before the last tournament.

“The team wasn't too fond of the [uniforms] we were going to be wearing [in Qatar], just because we didn't feel it represented us necessarily and the country as we'd like,” midfielder Tyler Adams, the 2022 U.S. World Cup captain, said recently. “When you have an opportunity to represent your country at a World Cup … you just want to love the kit.”

They did not love the kit, which is soccer parlance for uniform.

And they were not going to do the photo shoot, Adams said, unless they were given a voice in designing their 2026 uniforms. Nike and the U.S. Soccer Federation agreed.

[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Fill out brackets for your shot at $50K]

As part of a multiyear collaboration, the group came up with two designs: wavy red stripes with blue trim over a white shirt (known as the Stripes kit) and a “dark obsidian” (black) shirt with shiny stars and red trim (the Stars kit). Both feature original fonts and the USSF’s “The Best of U.S.” ethos stitched inside the back below the neckline.

The marketing campaign began Monday, and the players will wear each kit in the friendlies in Atlanta against Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 — the final camp before Mauricio Pochettino names his World Cup squad May 26.

What did the players want in their new jerseys?

“For me, it was simple: I want something that's timeless,” Adams said. “I want to have that kit you look back at in 30 years and you're like, ‘That's still the best one.’ … It's pretty straightforward: You have to have stars and stripes of some sort. They represent us perfectly.”

Striker Folarin Balogun concurred.

“I wanted it to be something when you're gifting the jersey to friends and family, and they're wearing it, they're excited and they have the feeling this jersey is extremely unique,” he said. “And as we’re one of the host nations, there was a big emphasis to make sure it stood out from the other nations.”

For the first time, all 27 teams under the USSF’s umbrella, including women and youth, will wear the same uniforms this year, the federation said. The women’s senior team is expected to give input on a special design ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

(Courtesy U.S. Soccer)

The men’s reaction to the 2026 kits is a far cry from the 2022 unveiling, when the players had no say in a plain white shirt with some red and blue and a deep blue jersey with black blobs.

“We just as angry as y’all,” winger Tim Weah, agreeing with fan criticism, wrote on social media at the time.

“Tried to tell them,” posted midfielder Weston McKennie, adding a crying emoji.

In his recent interview with reporters, Adams said in general he doesn’t “necessarily care too much about the kits. A kit's a kit … but top to bottom, we agreed we can at least have something that represents better.”

He added, “There was definitely a sense [Nike was] very, very uncomfortable with the [2022] situation, especially when you have 20-25 guys on a team saying they all hate the jerseys they're about to play in. But there was a quick turnaround. They honestly welcomed the criticism and they brought us right into the loop to start the design process for the next ones.”

Advertisement

The collaboration began in 2024 with Nike conducting listening sessions and design workshops to learn what the uniform means to the players and what they’d like to include on it.

The second phase involved the company welcoming feedback from the players on various designs, patterns, styles and colors. At the November 2025 camp, the final vision was presented to the players.

“Weston, at one point, was coming up with some crazy designs that no one agreed with, just things that [defeated] the whole purpose of why we're having these conversations,” Adams said with a grin. “Guys, let's just come up with a design that makes sense. At one point they're showing us colors, and someone's like, ‘Oh, I love that green.’ And I was like, ‘Get out of the room! Like, what are we doing here?’ But it's good. It all came to the right spot.”

From a design perspective, the players said they picked everything from how red the red was in the stripes to the shorts and socks combinations. There were tweaks along the way.

“I feel like we had more say than Nike had in it, to be honest with you,” Adams said.

(Courtesy U.S. Soccer)

According to the USSF, the players also provided input on fabric weight, seam placement, fit and mobility — a key factor during a competition to be played at times in hot conditions.

World Cup veteran Matt Turner made suggestions for the goalkeeping kit, which is part of Nike’s colorful “Hollywood Keepers” line worn by several national teams.

“You need to have kits that you just love putting on,” Adams said. “You just get that feeling like, look good, play good. And it sounds corny, but I believe in that.”

When a famous World Cup goal is scored or victory achieved, the jersey becomes part of that history — seen around the globe for generations.

“At the same time, if a kit is ugly, it’s ugly,” Balogun said. “It’s going to get negative reaction” forever.

The Stripes jersey is reminiscent of a popular one the U.S. wore last decade, unofficially known as the “Where’s Waldo” kit: red and white horizontal stripes, like the shirt worn by the main character in the popular children’s books. “We wanted some iteration of that,” Adams said.

The broader aim is to establish a uniform that becomes globally recognized, such as the Netherlands (bright orange), Brazil (canary yellow with blue), Portugal (red and green) and Croatia (checkerboard).

“You want that one jersey that kind of stays consistent,” Adams said. “When you talk to a Dutch national team player, that orange jersey is the top of playing in the Dutch national team system. For us, we have like crazy shapes or something on our jerseys. What does that have to do with the U.S.? We just want to be stars and stripes.”

Both Adams and Balogun said they prefer the 2026 Stars over Stripes.

“I think that’s going to become an all-time classic jersey,” Adams said. “Something about stars for me, which you don't really see often [and] makes it pop.”

Balogun added, “I just like the stealthiness to it. It's got so much hidden detail. It's such a beautiful kit. It’s a lot more of a statement.”

For fans, they won’t come cheap: $180 MSRP for authentic match jerseys, $100 for replicas.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”