18 World Cup kits may not see action during tournament - Report

As many as 18 national team shirts made for the 2026 FIFA World Cup might not be used in the group stage. FIFA has picked kits for the 72 opening matches, according to a report from BBC Sport on Wednesday.

The 48 teams in the tournament have shown off 108 outfield kits, but only 87 will definitely be worn in the group phase. The other shirts, mostly away and third kits, may only be used if their teams make it to the knockout rounds. Every country submitted their traditional home and away shirts, and 12 countries also released a special third kit.

FIFA's choices on colour clashes and match schedules mean that many of these shirts will stay in the locker room for the first three games.

Shirts Not Selected for Group Stage

Home shirts that won't be used include:

• Ghana
• Uzbekistan

Away shirts that are not set to be worn include:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Curacao
• DR Congo
• Iran
• Ivory Coast
• Japan
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Senegal
• South Africa

Third shirts not scheduled for use are from:

• Ecuador
• Haiti
• Iraq
• Jordan

On the other hand, four teams will show off all three of their kits in the group stage: Canada, Cape Verde, Mexico, and Panama. England and Scotland will rotate their two available shirts.

Scotland has prepared three different goalkeeper kits and will use a new one for each game against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil. BBC Sport noted that among the 12 away kits currently not confirmed for action, six have been highlighted as some of the best designs of the tournament: Austria, Belgium, Curacao, Japan, Ivory Coast, and South Africa. Readers of BBC Sport voted Curacao’s away shirt as the most popular among those not likely to appear in the group stage. Japan’s away kit also ranked high, coming second among the unused designs.

Curacao, making their World Cup debut this summer, may have to wait until the knockout rounds to show off their stylish alternative strip on the pitch. FIFA’s kit selections are meant to prevent colour clashes while keeping a good look across matches. Teams that move deeper into the competition could still wear their unused shirts, which gives fans hope that some of the tournament's best designs will eventually be seen.