These are the best World Cup designer collaborations of 2026
By Alyssa Pais
Fashion and sport are like milk and honey, like Hermès and Jane Birkin and like linen and summer; a perfect duo. The World Cup is now in full swing, and although footballers are known for always wearing the latest streetwear, Hanna has already written about the players' handbags, there has never been a World Cup where so many countries simultaneously wore designs from major designers. The official match kits are usually made by Nike or Adidas, but increasingly a trendy designer is chosen to design pre-match outfits, jackets, tracksuits, and accessories. Nike came up with the initiative X2, where they paired seven local designers with national teams. We list the most special collaborations.
Patta x Nike x Netherlands
To naturally start with our home country, Nike chose to collaborate with the Amsterdam streetwear brand Patta. It started as a sneaker store that opened in 2004 on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, and soon they began selling their own clothing. The name “Patta” comes from the Surinamese word for shoe (“pata”). The capsule collection for each country consists of a warm-up shirt, an anthem jacket, a Tech fleece set, socks, and a Nike Cryoshot sneaker. The shirts feature the Dutch lion, references to the various backgrounds of the players, and the pattern of the Surinamese Ala Kondre chain, a nod to the roots of the Patta founders. The release last week sold out completely within a few hours.
Jacquemus x Nike x France
Jacquemus designed a collection for the French national team called “Les Bleus by Jacquemus”, named after the team's nickname. Nike describes Jacquemus as a designer who brings together sport and French fashion and emphasizes his signature minimalist and elegant style. He opted for simple designs and blue, white, and red pinstripes. The sneakers are definitely my personal favorite of all seven collabs. Clean and minimalist, with a leather flap over the laces featuring both brands and red and blue accents. Unlike many other items from the fashion house, the entire collection is priced under 200 euros.
Palace x Nike x England
The collection for England is in collaboration with Palace, a British skateboard brand that draws inspiration from the street culture of the 1990s. Almost all items are black, gray, and red. The football shirt features a stained glass drawing of the legend of Saint George, the patron saint of England.
Willy Chavarria x Adidas x Mexico
Willy Chavarria is a Mexican-American designer from California. He is known for his oversized silhouettes and Chicano influences. The collection “Comienza Con El Sueño” (It starts with a dream) refers to the idea that dreams do not begin on a world stage, but in the neighborhoods where we grew up. The collection is not only about the football shirts and shorts for players but also includes a blazer and shirt for coaches, and sweaters, scarves, and caps for supporters.
NOCTA x Nike x Canada
Drake and Nike have a sublabel called NOCTA. Drake is one of the most well-known and influential Canadian artists of his generation, so his clothing brand is a logical choice to represent Canada. The clothing features a lot of black, red, and gold, with the Canadian maple leaf as a symbol.
PEACEMINUSONE x Nike x South Korea
The Korean K-pop singer G-Dragon collaborated with his label PEACEMINUSONE on the collection for the Korean national team, ‘Tigers of Asia’. Most items are black with daisies on them. There is also a logo with a tiger on the chest, an animal that often appears in Korean national symbolism.
With America as the host country, the World Cup is naturally becoming increasingly commercial. In addition to merchandise, food, music, and entertainment are all sponsored. With “drink breaks” that are actually just disguised commercial breaks, it sometimes feels like you are watching American football. These collabs are in any case a great success, as most collections are already almost sold out.
