The Nike England 2022 World Cup pre-match shirt and anthem jacket have dropped ahead of September's Nations League friendlies.
The England home shirt and away shirt were released together as the final two Nike kits to drop for the tournament. With most of the 2022 World Cup kits now out, England's have generated plenty of discussion among fans, with the change red strip in particular being a massive hit.
Now, the full prematch gear has been unveiled, with an anthem jacket, pre-match shirt, hoodie and joggers to enjoy.
The two shirts take big influence from past kits, as Nike looks to reinvent the look of the Three Lions for the tournament in Qatar.
The home shirt takes dark blue and sky blue, the two tertiary colours of the Euro 96 top, while creating something radically different with the gradients on the sleeves of the top. The away jersey, on the other hand, takes its cues from the 1990 away strip, mirroring the collar, cuffs and colour of that original.
Pre-match shirt
Pre-match shirts can often be more popular than the actual jerseys. In 2018, the England team took to their warm-ups donning a Nike top that had a geometric pattern based on the 1982 Admiral shirts – and it turned out to be one of the best-selling England shirts ever.
This time, the pre-match top is louder yet less attention-grabbing. This one isn't a nod to Lions lore but has an intricate splatter pattern in royal blue, dark blue and red. If you liked the Euro 2020 away kit and you're sad that England went back to a red change strip, here's the shirt specifically for you.
Anthem jacket
Last time around, England's anthem jacket was a stunning navy blue, with the lion pattern from the badge – which was lightly imprinted onto the royal blue away shirt – as part of a block across the middle of the jacket. This one is much brighter.
The '3 Lions' logo from the away shirt appears on the back of the neck of this one, while the jacket itself goes nicely with either the home or away jersey. All of Nike's jackets follow this pattern.
Hoodie
Picture the scene: England have made it to the World Cup final and hours ahead of the fixture, a clutch of Lions step out onto the pitch to survey the scene, take photos and drink in the occasion. Gary Lineker remarks that they look "remarkably composed".
You imagined them in this hoodie, right? Well though it's unlikely that anyone in Qatar will be wearing anything over a shirt in that sweltering heat, this is the hoodie for such an occasion. Maybe one to don to the pub in the freezing cold in Blighty.
Joggers
The dark blue hoodie is stunning – so here are the joggers to match. While a lot of Nike's England merch is unnecessarily busy design-wise, they've knocked it out the park with a minimal look for these.
Given that this is a winter World Cup, don't be surprised if these sell as well if not better than the shorts…
FAQs
What are pre-match shirts?
Pre-match shirts are worn by players performing a final warm-up before the match begins.
In recent years, these tops have become increasingly popular, with kit manufacturers producing more garish, daring designs for teams' pre-match shirts, without the pressure of having to sell as many as replica shirts.
What is an anthem jacket?
An anthem jacket is worn by a team out onto the pitch and during the anthems that are played before kick-off.
Most teams these days take to the pitch wearing jackets, as the phenomenon has become more common in both modern club football and international.
How long have Nike made the England kits?
Nike entered a partnership with the FA in 2012. The American brand is the kit supplier Club England's 24 football teams, including men's, women's, Futsal, disability and amateur.
The company also sponsors St. George's Park and is supporting partner of Wembley Stadium and the FA Cup.
Do Nike make all the England merchandise?
Nike makes all the kits, clothing and gear for the England team. Any England shirt that isn't produced with the Swoosh logo is unofficial.
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