Up to 18 national team jerseys unveiled for this summer’s FIFA World Cup may never be worn on the pitch after FIFA confirmed the kit selections for the tournament’s group stage.
The 48 participating nations have collectively released 108 outfield kits — excluding goalkeeper uniforms — ahead of the expanded tournament in the United States, according to a report by BBC. However, only 87 of those shirts are guaranteed to appear during the 72 group-stage matches.
Every team has at least two kits, traditionally designated as home and away strips, while 12 countries have also introduced third kits as alternative options.
FIFA has now outlined which shirts each nation will wear in the group phase, leaving several designs unused unless teams progress to the knockout rounds and opt to wear them later in the competition.
Most of the kits omitted from group-stage duty are away or third-choice shirts.
Notably, however, both Ghana and Uzbekistan will not wear their home kits in any of their three scheduled group matches.
A number of nations will also go through the group stage without using their away shirts. Those teams include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Curacao, DR Congo, Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Senegal and South Africa.
Meanwhile, Ecuador, Haiti, Iraq and Jordan will not use their third kits during the opening phase of the tournament.
In contrast, some countries will showcase their full range of outfield kits. Canada, Cape Verde, Mexico and Panama are all set to wear three different shirts across their three group-stage fixtures.
England and Scotland, who have each released two kits for the tournament, will wear both of their shirts during the group stage. Scotland will also use three different goalkeeper kits in matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
Whether the unused jerseys eventually make an appearance will depend on how far their respective teams progress once the knockout stages begin. For now, several newly released designs appear destined to spend the opening phase of the World Cup on the sidelines.
