The pre-match jerseys are important again

During the last week, the national teams took to the field twice. A unique opportunity to showcase the new jerseys made by their technical sponsor, both in Home and Away versions, which will accompany them for the upcoming events around the world. Jerseys were not the only items to catch the spectators' eyes. Even the shorts, which often take a back seat, had their say during this week - just think of the Belgian national team using a pair of brown shorts in their already iconic kit inspired by Tintin. Furthermore, the anthem jackets of the French national team immediately caught the spotlight thanks to a unique look: an 80s cut, acetate silhouette, added high neck and elasticized cuffs. The Away version, on the other hand, is white with dark blue inserts, and details like the extra-large embroidered logo of the French Federation and the tricolor collar and cuffs.

The players wear the anthem jackets for only a few minutes, and that's enough to enchant the fans; the same goes for the pre-match jerseys, which the players wear during warm-up (often covered by warm-up tracksuits). During the two international break matches, the teams seized their chances to show off these shirts, and while adidas opted for more minimalist and clean designs, Nike (with the exception of the Turkish national team) surprised everyone with never-before-seen patterns. For instance, the US national team chose to replicate the faded tie-dye effect of the new Home jersey even on the pre-match version, albeit slightly differently. Considering the effort put in by Nike for some pre-match jerseys, it's absurd to think that the concepts of these are more sophisticated than those of the Home and Away versions of some national teams. Just consider that the adidas and Nike shirts, respectively for Venezuela and Turkey, are little more than basic templates adorned with the national team's colors.

Strategically, the choice for South Korea, Nigeria, and Croatia was to wear a diagonally striped shirt like Turkey (a template known as "Streamlined" usually worn by smaller national teams), probably to concentrate merchandise sales on the already presented, worn, and as always positively received Home and Away shirts. Similar to the US national team, the pre-match jerseys of Brazil and Portugal are very similar to their game jerseys. This is evident from the pattern used by the Brazilian players in the minutes before kick-off: a mix of the Home kit pattern and the sea waves from the Away kit. On Portugal's pre-match jersey, on the other hand, there are iconographies belonging to the country's tradition, such as the azulejos that make the Away jersey unique. Considering that adidas and Nike have almost infinite creative potential, what was seen on the field during this week is an excellent starting point: we can hypothesize that both technical sponsors want to make pre-match moments special again by enchanting the audience with unique patterns and details.