Postcards from the World Cup: U.S. men's kit, merely ugly or the ugliest?

The streets of every World Cup city have been a showcase for the world's jerseys. Seattle is no exception; on Monday morning the city was full of jerseys, mostly the U.S. kit but the globe was well represented. I even saw a couple of guys rocking Italy jerseys, though Italy didn't manage to qualify for this World Cup.

This 2026 World Cup is supposed to push the United States to a different level as a soccer nation. Let's hope it at least does that for our soccer jersey designers.

This may not be a popular opinion, especially if you spent $125 or more on a USMNT jersey, but this version, designed by Nike, is particularly unattractive. Sure, the undulating horizontal red and white stripes are supposed to look like our flag waving, gallantly streaming over the ramparts, but really the pattern looks more like an unflattering manufacturing mistake.

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Classic soccer jerseys don't require tampering or reimagining every four years: think England, Spain, Brazil, France, Mexico. The classic crest is decoration enough. But American jerseys change wildly from cycle to cycle. And the capitalist in me fully understands why this is.

America has had a few good-looking kits in the past. The 2022 uniform was classic. The 2006 was also a good look. But at least people remember the hideous ones: the faux denim design of the last World Cup hosted by the United States in 1994 is making a baffling comeback this year, an ironic nod to that long ago era of American soccer.

Maybe in 2058 we'll be a true soccer power. And maybe the wavy stripes jersey will make a comeback of its own. It won't look any better then.

July 6, 2026

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Ann Killion

Sports Columnist

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