Reinventing football shirts

The painter’s blank canvas on the easel. The blank computer screen at the start of every new project. Or your national side’s football shirt. Every creative proposal needs a support on which it can be expressed, and lycra is as valid a surface as any other. Moreover, its very format (chest and back, or front and rear) offers the creative soul the fabric equivalent of the classic leaflet design. 

An event of the magnitude of the football World Cup gives designers of all stripes the perfect opportunity to show off. After all, the whole world will literally be watching the person sweating under the shirt and, by extension, will be noticing what the shirt looks like. 

FIFA’s regulations prohibit the use of sponsors in this competition, and that means these walking canvases trotting in groups of 10 + 1 across the pitch are the exclusive canvas for a design that for once isn’t trying to sell something. Well, except a priceless feeling of patriotism and belonging. Not much to ask, right?

With this in mind, it’s easier to understand the importance of these designs that are called to define a national identity. And, by extension, the significance of their updates in the face of the new World Cup. 

At Freepik we have deployed a battery of resources so that you can warm up and squeeze out your creative possibilities without injury. But we don’t want you to take the field without first taking into account some considerations… 

Colors 

In the beginning it was so simple. In the absence of uniform kits and sports equipment manufacturers, players dressed as they wanted. At most, they made do with distinctive caps or scarves. This avoided more confusion than necessary when kicking the ball about in a space as big as the football pitch.

As the sport became more popular, having a number on the back, and later the player’s name, began to take on importance. The competing teams usually wore a handful of basic colors or simple designs. No more was needed. If the competition resulted in a clash between two red, or green, or blue teams, the visitors would wear a second kit, always in a different color. And off they ran. 

This passion for one color still lives on in the fans’ imagination. “Les Bleus” is still the chromatic symbol of the French national team. And “La Roja” defines the Spanish national team. But there are many more examples. The characteristic yellow of the Brazilian national team, the green that defines the Irish national team or the orange that always and everywhere symbolizes the Netherlands are among the first examples that come to mind.

Germany usually plays in a sober combination of black and white on the shirt and shorts respectively. Actually, the fact that a football kit consists of both garments makes it possible to explore color combinations that continue to appeal to each flag and spread the play.  Of course, when these elemental colors connect with deep-rooted feelings of national identity they become untouchable. 

That’s why they never change or, if they do, these sacred pigments undergo minimal variations in hue, contrast or saturation from one edition to the next. So, faced with the need to innovate or revamp some strips, designers must explore other avenues… 

Motifs 

Although there are millions of colors, the characteristics and demands of a football match mean that by definition there cannot be a clash between mauve and violet, or pale pink and fuchsia pink. While on paper they are easily distinguishable, on the pitch you can’t mess around with such nuances. If you do, the other side will score a goal. 

For this reason, once the teams had shared out the basic colors available, new solutions proliferated. Breaking the color uniformity of the design with geometric motifs allows you to add another note to the kit, multiplying the possibilities. The most commonly used motif is stripes. How could the Argentinian national team be known as the “albiceleste” if it were not for its vertical stripes in white and light blue? Even checked patterns are used, such as the unmistakable red and white checkerboard that will forever identify the Croatian national team. Although, for this edition, they have allowed themselves to break them down into a more irregular pattern. 

Designs of every stripe… 

This brief overview brings us to the present day when creativity is flying free on the pitch. Exploring the possibilities offered by the symbols of each country’s national identity and incorporating them into a design allows an impressive range of subtle creativity to unfold. 

Take the circular gold spots representing the coasts of the host country (Qatar). Or the gray triangles and red and green waves of the Iranian jersey. Or the blue gradients of the England shirt. Or the counter tones in the classic yellow of the “Canarinha” evoking the fur of the jaguar. Indeed, there are designs featuring all kinds of fur… 

Like the black details emulating tiger stripes on the South Korean federation’s crest. Or the leopard, a recurring presence on the Iranian jersey. Or the gray on the sleeves of Poland’s jersey, evoking the plumage of the white eagle on their coat of arms. And more feathers too. Like those of the falcon, which stand out alongside the palm leaves against the traditional green of Saudi Arabia. Or those of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, of the Mexican national team.  

In fact, Mexico’s second kit features red designs representing codices from Aztec culture. Wales features the dragon on its badge. Argentina’s team carries the rays of the Sun of May from its national flag. Japan’s side references origami while Belgium references flames of fire. Belgium goes further in its second kit, paying homage to the Tomorrowland electronic music festival, with multi-colored details on the sleeves, sides and waistband and the word “Love” on the crest and collar. And Ecuador splashes their kit with a design featuring local folk art. 

… And ready-to-use proposals

It’s clear that this gives us plenty of room to play, innovate and experiment. That’s why at Freepik, we’ve been training hard for the World Cup. After some time warming up on the sidelines, our design team has put together a selection of the best football kit mockups in this collection.

Find everything you need to present your football shirt designs in a realistic and convincing way. From gradient colors and geometric designs to authentic contrasting brush strokes. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore your creativity down to the smallest details, such as the sleeves, the collar or the crest itself.  

Since we’ll have the World Cup with us for a while, take the opportunity to practice your most dazzling moves.