World Cup Christmas Jumpers

Did someone say Christmas World Cup? We've reimagined iconic World Cup kits as Christmas jumpers!

This year it's less beer gardens and cocktails and more hot chocolates and cheese boards

Beer gardens, cocktails, outdoor garden parties and bbq’s are the typical go-to’s for a World Cup celebration, but, as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is being held during winter for the first time, it’s becoming clear that this year’s tournament is a very different affair for supporters.

Typically iconic World Cup kits from the tournament's past make appearances at games, watch parties and at local pub showings but with the likelihood of fans needing to wear warmer clothes for the 2022 tournament we decided to take a look at what iconic FIFA World Cup kits would look like if they were reimagined as Christmas jumpers.

Italia 90. Oh! How you broke our hearts. Given England’s recent levels of success, it’s becoming hard to remember a time when England did not reach the latter stages of major tournaments.

Cast your mind back to 1990 though and that is precisely how we entered Italia 90. Fortunately, Gazza and co delivered their best finish since winning the competition in 1966, placing fourth overall. They were even within a whisker of beating eventual winners West Germany in the Semi-Finals.

Following this year’s recent remake of the ‘90 blue away shirt, the design has found itself once again being donned come match days. It may be too cold to wear the classic jersey but imagine celebrating football finally coming Ho! Ho! Home in this reimagined Italia’ 90 sweater.

Prior to the upcoming Qatar 2022 tournament, Wales’ last World Cup campaign was in Sweden in 1958.

Wales had a decent tournament outing, reaching the quarter-finals before falling to Brazil. At match in which the world was introduced to a certain Pelé who was just 17 at the time. Their kit for the tournament was a stunner, featuring a simple design that featured ‘Y Ddraig Goch’ within a crest, not pulling Santa’s sleigh as seen on our Christmas jumper iteration of the design though.

Germany always have beautiful football kits, and because of their footballing dominance, kits are typically featured in the highlight moments of all major tournaments. At Italia 90, the then ‘West Germany’ kit was no different, moving away from the simple design used by the team previously.

The West Germany kit embraced colour alongside a non-traditional pattern and delivered what has since become an iconic design. Lothar Matthaus lifting the World Cup in the strip helped etch its place in history and now football kit collectors and casual fans alike ooze over the Italia’ 90 home kit, seeing it become one of the most sought-after shirts in the game and possibly the most sought after of all Christmas jumpers.

Croatia entered their first FIFA World Cup tournament at France 98, going on to finish third in their debut World Cup. A true success, but it wasn’t just their football that made a splash at the tournament. The checkerboard (or advent calendar) pattern of their home shirt captured the attention of football fans so much so that it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful kit in the tournament's history.

The words ‘denim’ and ‘football shirt’ are probably not terms you would ever think of partnering together in a sentence. We certainly wouldn’t. But, in 1994, World Cup hosts, USA, decided to embrace their national flag and partner it with denim. Yes DENIM! The denim away shirt, has become an iconic World Cup kit design - not because people seek it out like the West Germany kit or because of it’s association with an all time great player, like the Brazil kit and Pelé - but because it shocked the world and was completely different, making it iconic in it’s own right. We’re not sure a denim Christmas jumper will be comfortable though - thoughts?

The Netherlands football kits are stunning. They are typically simplicity personified, never really moving far away from the traditional orange that has become synonymous with the nation. In 1978, The Netherlands sported a vibrant orange jersey, supported by black and white accents that came together to create an iconic kit worthy of their success in the tournament, at which they finished runners-up behind hosts Argentina. The Christmas jumper iteration of the jersey is no different, a perfect example of less, sometimes being more.

It’s regarded as the greatest World Cup ever. Featuring multiple iconic moments, several players regarded as ‘all time greats’, strong teams throughout and even a splattering of iconic kits, France 98 had it all!

France would reach the summit of football at their home tournament in 1998 and in doing so created an iconic team, an iconic tournament but also an iconic kit. Think Zinedine Zidane and barring a certain headbutt your thoughts probably turn to his excellent performance against Brazil in the final that ultimately delivered World Cup glory for France. The Christmas jumper sports the classic blue associated at this time, adding a stripe of red Christmas puddings for some festive cheer.

The 94 World Cup in the USA may not have brought the level of success we have seen recently for the Spanish at these tournaments certainly not coming close to South Africa 2010) but the kit donned by the Spanish team is still a thing of beauty.

Featuring a vertical pattern to one side and the national badge emblazoned on the other, the design is one of Spain’s nicest offerings at a major tournament. In terms of iconic? Well, a certain elbow from one Mauro Tassotti on Luis Enrique in the dying moments of the Italy Vs Spain quarter final has become an iconic footballing moment, furthering one of the great European footballing rivalries.

Yes, we know, Hand of God! But, let’s not forget, Diego Maradona also scored arguably the greatest goal in World Cup history within the same game. That makes Argentina’s Mexico 86 kit one of the most iconic football shirts of all time and rightly earns its place amongst the Christmas jumper elite.

Le Coq Sportif’s greatest kit? Most certainly. So, England fans, let’s not be Grinch’s this year, just admit it, Maradona was an all time great and as a result, so is this kit.

If there is a more iconic football shirt in world football, we are yet to see it. The 1970 Brazil shirt, famously worn by one of the greatest players to have ever lived, Pelé, has become one of the most iconic sports jerseys of all time.

Brazil are quite-rightly known as football’s greatest entertainers. With an attack featuring the likes of Jairzinho, Pelé, Gérson, Tostão and Rivelino it became hard to dislike the Brazil team, and this was made even harder when they look so good whilst playing stimulating football. The jersey has been recreated and used for inspiration by Brazil many times but there are none that come close to the Pelé kit of 1970.

No matter who you support its sure to be a tournament to remember. If you want to know more about the 32 teams battling it out to lift the World Cup Trophy, check out everything you need to know in our World Cup Tips guide.