The jerseys Team Canada will wear for the FIFA World Cup later this year have been revealed.
They’re the first custom-made jerseys Team Canada has donned for a World Cup since 1986, according to a news release from Canada Soccer.
The home jersey is an iconic Canadian red featuring a big, stemless maple leaf in the middle. The position and shape of the leaf bears resemblance to the hockey jersey worn during the 1972 Summit Series.
Unlike the aforementioned hockey jersey, the World Cup jersey is split down the middle and has a two-tone colour scheme, while a red pair of shorts complements the jersey. This set will be worn during the games played in Toronto and Vancouver.
The away jersey is black, and features what looks like a white, craggy frost pattern. Look closely and the frost pattern forms maple leaves throughout the jersey. This jersey, along with a black pair of shorts, is worn when Team Canada plays outside of Canada.
The jerseys also feature small details, including a shiny loonie decal hidden within the collar of the shirt.
Team Canada midfielder Richie Laryea told CBC News the team is particularly fond of the black jersey. Laryea said “the guys were very excited” as soon as they got their hands on the black jersey.
“Every game we’ve played [in black] we’ve played pretty well,” Laryea said. “The black means something special to us.”
During the 2022 World Cup, Team Canada wore black jerseys during qualifying games which are well remembered by fans, including the game against Mexico in Edmonton which is referred to as “The Battle of the Iceteca” by fans.
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These jerseys are made of recycled textile waste and feature a stitching technology to maximize air flow while keeping the fabric off the athletes, the news release says.
The first game where these jerseys will see action is March 28 during the non-competitive game against Iceland at the BMO Field in Toronto.
