'Looks like a blood-stained shirt': South Korea's World Cup kits rank 40th out of 48, foreign media says

South Korea's kits for the 2026 North America World Cup have drawn harsh reviews from a prominent foreign sports outlet.

The Athletic, a US sports media outlet, recently published a ranking of kits worn by all 48 nations competing in the 2026 North America World Cup. South Korea placed 38th for its home kit and 40th for its away kit.

The home kit features a print inspired by tiger claw marks — a nod to the tiger, a symbol of the national team — set against a bold red background intended to project an aggressive, dynamic image. Nike, which designed the kit, said it envisioned "11 white tigers standing on the pitch, ready to ambush their opponents."

The Athletic was unmoved. The outlet said the kit makes the wearer look "like someone who has just come from quite a dramatic crime scene and hasn't changed their blood-stained shirt," adding that "dramatic design can work, but this is a bit much."

The away kit fared no better. For the first time since South Korea qualified for the 1954 Switzerland World Cup, the team chose a purple palette — inspired by the mugunghwa, or rose of Sharon, the national flower — as the primary color for its away strip.

The Athletic called the floral concept "a good idea, given how few football kits are based on flowers," but said the finished product "looks like a T-shirt someone working in an artisanal sandwich shop in east London might wear as a half-joke."

On the color itself, the outlet said "it's very hard to make a purple football shirt work," arguing that success requires "getting close to a deep purple reminiscent of Fiorentina," whereas South Korea's shade is too light. "An ambitious attempt," it concluded, "but it doesn't quite land."

The rankings were part of The Athletic's "Style of Play" series. The outlet said the World Cup "is remembered not only for results on the pitch but also for the visual imagery and kit culture that define the tournament," and noted that expansion to a 48-team format has made kit competition more intense than ever.

Curaçao, the Caribbean island nation, topped the away kit rankings. The Athletic called its uniform "almost perfect," praising the combination of a pale yellow base with blue and red accents, a three-stripe shoulder design and collar detailing. The outlet noted that the away kit of "the smallest nation" selling out on the Adidas website speaks for itself.

Ghana claimed the top spot in the home kit rankings. The Athletic greeted the kit with a simple "Wow," saying it was an exception to an otherwise underwhelming run of Puma designs this year. "It looks like a giant multicolored spiderweb — and that's literally what it is," the outlet said, awarding it top marks.