This week Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay sealed their places at the 2026 World Cup, joining fellow CONMEBOL teams Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador as part of the six direct qualification slots from the zone. Seven other teams from Asia and Oceania have also booked their place to join hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S., but with a mammoth 48 total teams we are barely scratching the surface of what next month’s tournament will look like.
At the time of writing there are still 279 days to go until the start of the World Cup, but with plenty left to sort out attention is already beginning to shift towards the kits. The international breaks towards the end of this year will likely deliver many of the 2026 kits we will enjoy (or hate) next summer, and one particular leak caught our attention in a big way.
Mexico’s leaked 2026 home shirt is a not so subtle nod to one of the GOAT international kits, the nation’s iconic 1998 home. To say the 98 home is one of our favourite shirts would be an understatement — there’s a reason we’re the exclusive stockist of the official ABA Sport reissues — and as such any reference to the classic has a lot to live up.
How does the 2026 kit compare to the OG? Is it one to get excited about, or another example of misguided nostalgia bait?
Mexico 2026 home kit - The good
The design is highly evocative
Though far from perfect (we’ll get into that in the next section), the Mexico 2026 is highly evocative simply by having a sun stone pattern. Though we saw a broadly similar aesthetic with the 2022 away, Mexico kits have been remarkably plain since ‘98. A return to the more daring is a welcome one, and it’ll produce more than a few déjà vu moments for people seeing the new kit for the first time.
It’s not a straight remake
Everyone is throwing back to old kits at the moment, but the best retro designs are the ones which carve out their own identity whilst still maintaining a link to what went before. A straight remake (trickier, but not impossible, to implement when working cross brand as adidas would have been here) is often the easier path to take with a more guaranteed level of commercial success, but it’s always preferable to see some original ideas of a theme.
The pattern continues on the back
In 2025 it feels like brands have well and truly got the memo about patterns continuing on the back of the kit. Plain backs blighted many top shirts during the earlier part of the 20s, but the calendar pattern is set to repeat in full on the reverse of Mexico’s 2026 home kit. It’s such a simple move which makes all the difference.
Mexico 2026 home kit - The bad
The pattern itself is a big downgrade
For all the positive sentiment towards the return of the sun stone and the fact the pattern continues on the back, if we’re looking at the makeup of the shapes that make up the calendar aesthetic it’s simply a step down from what we saw in ‘98.
Though we appreciate the differences, the eagle in the middle of the kit feels misplaced especially so close to the same eagle of the federation crest. When compared to the memorable face of the sun god on the OG shirt, it’s no competition. It’s also a shame to see the pattern not continuing through to the sleeves.
A collar is sorely missing
The base adidas construction which has been in use for several seasons now is tired at this point, and it feels particularly dated with the lack of any sort of collar. What makes the absence of a collar even more painful is that an inclusion of one would have been an easy nod to the 1998 kit.
adidas’ branding does more harm than good
On the aforementioned plain sleeves sits the adidas three stripes. The brand’s ubiquitous mark is set to appear particularly thick for 2026, and we’re feeling somewhat pessimistic based on the leaks. Perhaps some different colours in the stripes would’ve saved things.
It will always suffer from comparison
Retro inspired designs are a double edged sword. On the one hand the opportunity to reference a classic creates a clear path for fans and collectors to join the dots and see a fresh take on something they already hold a connection too. In the same breath, any iteration on an old kit will draw comparisons which can be damning if the original shirt is particularly loved.
The Mexico 1998 is one of football kit’s greatest designs of all time. If you’re putting together a Mount Rushmore of kits it’d have every shot of making it. Any subsequent "inspired by" shirt has virtually no chance of moving out of the shadow of such a legacy, and sadly Mexico 2026 home is set to go down as a swing and miss.
A reminder that we're the exclusive stockist of the Mexico 1998 reissues. These come straight from original manufacturer ABA Sport, and there are even long sleeve and away (and third!) options available. Buy one now and prepare for the World Cup in the best way.
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