Ranking every Euro and Copa América kit from Adidas

Adidas continues to set the standard for on-pitch fashion, with last week’s launch of the highly-anticipated home and away kits that will be worn by the German sportswear company’s partner federations at this summer’s European Championship and Copa América tournaments.

With the exception of Venezuela’s, all shirts feature a common design thread inspired by Adidas’ 2006 World Cup shirts. The infamous “Teamgeist” template that was worn by the likes of France and Germany 18 years ago makes its return with a modern twist, including “fresh application of national colors and exploration into new bolder hues” by “recoding traditional patters and applying them in fresh ways.”

Drawing inspiration from everything from the metaverse to South American mountain ranges, Adidas have redefined what creative expression of national heritage can look like on a soccer shirt.

Here’s how they stack up.

26. Venezuela home 🇻🇪 

The red wine hue being true to La Vinotinto’s name is about the only redeeming quality of this shirt. Adidas said it all by omitting this from their marketing materials and not making it available on their website.

25. Hungary home 🇭🇺 

The only remarkable thing about this shirt is that it features two crests: the Hungarian Football Federation logo on the right, and the coat of arms on the left – above the heart. Outside of that it’s as unremarkable as goulash.

24. Spain away 🇪🇸 

Unlike Spain’s home shirt, Adidas at least tried to do something different here, but this ain’t it. This is quite a downgrade from La Roja’s previous away strip.

23. Chile away 🇨🇱 

This shirt is supposedly a visual reference to the snow-capped Andes mountains, but it seems to me like Adidas just ran out of ideas here. The model’s face says it all. 😬 

22. Hungary away 🇭🇺 

While it’s a slight upgrade to the home kit, this looks right at home in the cold, forlorn underground that is Budapest’s metro. 🥶 

21. Scotland away 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

According to Adidas, this shirt draws inspiration from “an iconic kit from the 90’s era, but with a fresh new look for today’s fans and players.” Their design team seem to have taken some liberties with a “fresh new look,” because I can’t for the life of me find out which kit they’re referencing. Can you? 

20. Spain home 🇪🇸 

Yawn. Adidas took understatement to the next level here, incorporating “wavy patterns inspired by Iberian geography” on base of the shirt that are only visible under a microscope. 🔬 

Their design process for this kit can be summed up by this scene from SpongeBob SquarePants.

19. Venezuela away 🇻🇪 

The chevron-like pattern featuring the colors of the Venezuelan flag is cool, but the collar ruins it for me. It’s too harsh of a contrast to the clean, white base – a shame because the collars on the Teamgeist template are some of the best.

18. Wales home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 

Sure, it a bit plain, but sometimes plain works. The yellow, green, and red “swoops” on the sides of this shirt are inspired by the shape of a dragon’s tail, and continue to wrap around on the shorts. They’ll pair perfectly with Welsh FA underwear. 🐉 

17. Peru away 🇵🇪

We’re taking a big step up now. I’m a sucker for black kits, and the pattern on the sleeves – which mimics the woodgrain texture of the cajón, a Peruvian percussion instrument – is a nice touch.

16. Chile home 🇨🇱 

True to La Roja’s name, the red really pops on this shirt, as do the blue and white accents. The front features a cascading mosaic of darker red squares that represent the team’s fans, also known as the “Red Tide,” creating a star in the negative space that symbolizes the Chilean flag.

15. Colombia away 🇨🇴 

The motif of a phoenix – said to be “synonymous with fresh energy and transformation” – is prevalent in both of Colombia’s kits, although evidently less so in this one. That said, black and what I’ll call “infrared” always plays.🔥 

14. Scotland home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

There’s no shortage of tartan on this shirt for the Tartan Army, who will again look like Braveheart on the pitch with a home kit inspired by Scotland’s traditional woven cloth. My only gripe is that the “swoops” are a different color from the Adidas logo and the collar.

13. Argentina away 🇦🇷 

This otherwise underwhelming effort is proof that the World Cup-winners badge instantly elevates any kit.

12. Germany away 🇩🇪 

The Euro hosts have taken a divergent approach with their kits for the tournament: one representing Germany’s deep-rooted traditions in the sport, and the other reflecting a new generation of German soccer fans and the diversity of the country. Take a guess which one this is.

Inspired by the “digital world of the metaverse,” this radioactive pink strip is sure to make the hosts stick out on the pitch, and I’m a fan. It might be the only thing more contentious than the metaverse itself.

11. Belgium home 🇧🇪 

The Red Devils are set to become the Crimson Devils this summer, and what an upgrade it is for the world’s fourth-ranked team! Belgium’s home kit is “inspired by Belgian contemporary architecture and luxury fashion design,” which is evident in the tessellating diamond pattern that bears the crown of the FA crest.

I never thought a kit resembling a Goyard bag could look so good. 👜 

10. Italy away 🇮🇹 

For a country where the tricolore means so much, it’s a no-brainer to have the Adidas stripes on the sleeves be alternating colors. Some may say it looks too much like a training kit, but I like its vintage feel.

9. Colombia home 🇨🇴 

The phoenix motif is much more evident on Colombia’s home kit, which features side panels that resemble the wings of the mythical bird. This is the best use of the Teamgeist “swoops” from Adidas, and a cool nod to a country that has undergone a dramatic rebirth in the past several years.

8. Peru home 🇵🇪 

Another good use of the “swoops,” Peru’s home kit features the same iconic sash Los Incas have worn for nearly a century. A beautiful modern take on a timeless classic.

7. Italy home 🇮🇹 

The Azzurri are looking to defend their title at Euro 2024, and they’ll look mighty fine while doing so. After years of mishaps with Puma, Italy are off to a strong start with Adidas, who did an excellent job of blending several distinctly Italian elements in an understated, elegant way. Banging kit. 🔥 

6. Argentina home 🇦🇷 

Argentina’s look will again be among the world’s best. Elevated with a touch of gold for the defending World Cup and Copa América champions, the Albiceleste’s signature look for 2024 is a worthy successor to what will be remembered as one of the best kits ever. 

Here’s a glimpse of the GOAT in his new threads.

5. Wales away 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 

My personal favorite on this list, this shirt draws inspiration from the tricolored bucket hats that have become synonymous with Welsh fans in recent years. It’d be a real shame if the Dragons don’t qualify from the playoffs now…

4. Belgium away 🇧🇪 

Blistering barnacles! The kit that’s been making all the headlines… Belgium’s away strip is a tribute to Belgian cartoonist Hergé and the character that made him famous: Tintin, whose iconic blue sweater, white collar, and khaki pants are reflected in this look.

Fans have been quick to call out that Leandro Trossard shares a striking resemblance to the intrepid reporter. 😂 

3. Mexico away 🇲🇽 

Both of El Tri’s kits are “emblazoned with eye-catching folk-art patterns, representing the colorful and playful way those from Mexico see life.” This one features an intricate pattern of the rattlesnake depicted in Mexico’s coat of arms. I’m not usually a fan of mint-colored shirts, but this one’s a beauty. 🐍 

2. Mexico home 🇲🇽 

Another component of Mexico’s coat of arms – a golden eagle – is represented in El Tri’s home kit, which features an all-over feather pattern atop a burgundy background. Stunning. 🦅 

1. Germany home 🇩🇪 

Adidas nailed the hosts’ home kit on so many levels. While they went rogue with Die Mannschaft’s away kit, Adidas stuck to Germany’s traditional look here and nailed it. The shirt features a subtle pattern resembling the old logo of the DFB, the sport’s governing body in the country. The sleeves include the colors of the German tricolor in a prismatic gradient that looks like flickering embers, which symbolize the reemergence of a once dormant soccer powerhouse. Amazing symbolism, even better results. 🔥