Once again, the United States men’s national team will wrap themselves in the flag when the country hosts the FIFA World Cup — this time along with Canada and Mexico — for the first time in 32 years this summer.
USA defender Tim Ream in the ‘Stripes’ kit. (Photo by Andrea Vilchez/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
On Monday, sportswear giant Nike officially released the U.S. men’s team’s primary and secondary uniforms for the 48-team soccer extravaganza, which kicks off June 11 in Mexico City. The Americans debut the next day on June 12 when they meet Paraguay in Los Angeles in the first of three group-stage games.
The U.S. closes out the first round with matches against Australia and the winner of this month’s European playoff between Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia and Türkiye.
With wavy red and white stripes, the primary “stripes kit” is reminiscent of the shirts the U.S. wore when they last hosted the planet’s biggest sporting event, way back in 1994. Same for the dark “stars kit” version — which many fans see as an obvious but subtle nod to the iconic Adidas-produced faux denim jerseys the Americans wore back then.
The team will debut the new duds March 28, when they face Belgium in the first of four pre-World Cup tune-ups. All 27 of the U.S. Soccer Federation‘s national teams will wear the uniforms, including the four-time World Cup champion U.S. women’s squad and the country’s youth and extended teams.
“The match jerseys feature Nike’s latest performance innovations, including Aero-FIT technology engineered for lightweight breathability, mobility and comfort in all weather conditions,” according to U.S. Soccer’s official press release.
Nike said it worked closely with the American players during the design process, “incorporating athlete feedback to authentically represent the team’s identity,” it said. “Through a series of design workshops and listening sessions, USMNT players provided input on everything from fabric weight to seam placement.”
Adidas, Nike’s chief rival, recently re-released a line of retro denim 1994 USA World Cup gear — though the latter’s current sponsorship with the USSF prevented the former from using the official logo.
Nike and U.S. Soccer will introduce a “streetwear-inspired” collection of their own this spring.
