The Belgium 2022 World Cup home kit is here – and yes, that's fire on the sleeves.
Adidas haven't been afraid to be marmite with this one, recalling shirts from Year 7 discos and dropping their new textless logo for the first time with the Belgium kit. The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne are expected to wear this one – and it looks like the German manufacturer are trying to stoke the flames on an ageing Golden Generation for a little longer.
The rest of the Adidas World Cup kits have all dropped, along with the Adidas away shirt for the Belgians, too. Almost all World Cup shirts have now been released ahead of November's tournament.
FFT's verdict
The Belgium 2022 World Cup home kit reminds us a lot of the darts…
Here at FFT, we don't have happy memories of the Belgium shirt from four years ago – but we're not too sure if that's just because the Red Devils beat England twice.
Still, this one is a lot sleeker and less in-your-face than the centralised, diamond-heavy shirt from 2018. The red is a touch more pink and the black sleeves are a nice addition, with that same red used for the three stripes. So far, so good.
But we're going to have to talk about that fire pattern, aren't we?
The Belgium 2022 World Cup home shirt (Image credit: Adidas)
While the fire will divide fans – as much as Eden Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid seems to have done – you have to say that Adidas have handled it classily. It's a geometric pattern designed to look like fire rather than a massive photographic print. Now that would look naff.
For a side that call themselves the Red Devils, it makes sense on a literal basis. And at least it's not boring. But that doesn't make it a winner in everyone's eyes.
The Belgium 2022 World Cup home kit (Image credit: Adidas)
We expect that this won't be unanimously adored by Belgians but that's OK. It's at least something a little bit different – and hey, if you don't like it, the all-black Women's Euros kit from earlier on in 2022 is a more than adequate substitute for you to shell out for.
The Adidas Belgium World Cup 2022 home shirt (Image credit: Adidas)
Adidas Belgium 2022 World Cup home shirt
Adidas have at least done all they can to make this one smart and classy… it's just fire isn't for some
Our expert review:
Specifications
Sizes: XS-2XL
Reasons to buy
+
Fire!
+
Black sleeves feels fresh
+
Nice collar on this one
Reasons to avoid
-
Fire is going to be polarising, isn't it?
-
Red looks slightly washed out
Shirt info
What is the sizing like with the Adidas Belgium 2022 World Cup home kit?
The sizing with all Adidas football kits is very natural – not too tight in any places, apart from perhaps around the cuffs on short sleeve shirts, if you have big arms.
What is the difference between the authentic and regular versions of the Belgium 2022 World Cup Home Kit?
The authentic version of the shirt is the official jersey that the players will wear for matches. The only differences are minimal, usually in the material being slightly different and the badges and logos being woven into the shirt rather than printed on.
"Made with Parley Ocean Plastic, new ultra-breathable 3D engineered fabric 'HEAT.RDY' technology, triangle-shaped 'Authentic' badge, 3 stripes tape execution on the shoulders, the Authentic jerseys introduce new technologies to a future iconic football jersey silhouette," says Adidas. Now you know.
If you want to pay extra for that added quality, you can buy the authentic shirt here. In terms of design or feel though, the regular version of the top is perfectly good and just the same to the naked eye.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
