Blessed with quality and depth at every position on the field, England headed into this summer’s FIFA World Cup hoping to recapture the glory of 1966.
They got their tournament off to the perfect start with a 4-2 win against Croatia, before settling for a 0-0 draw against a dogged Ghana outfit. They secured top spot in Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama, comfortably clinching qualification to the Round of 32.
While much can be said about their performances on the field, one of England’s kits has emerged as a major talking point this summer. As the Three Lions head to the Americas dreaming of World Cup glory, plenty of fans have followed. For anyone keeping up with the games at the stadium or on TV, it is quite apparent how well supported the English team are.
Naturally, different versions of the England kit are on display. Plenty have been spotted sporting the current kits, either the classic white home kit or the eye-catching bright red away strip. Plenty of iconic retro kits are also in the mix, such as the shirts from Italia 90, Euro 96 and the 2002 World Cup.
Another, much more obscure kit, however, has been all the age amongst fans of late. The jersey in question is a blue third shirt designed by Umbro ahead of the 1990 World Cup. Based in Manchester, Umbro served as the English National Team’s designated kit designer for 60 years until their partnership ended in 2013.
Soft sky blue in colour, the shirt features plenty of interesting design details such as a navy fold-over collar with white trim, ribbed sleeves and a tonal geometric pattern. Both the Umbro logo and the iconic Three Lions crest is also embroidered, which adds to the retro vibe.
Perhaps surprisingly, this shirt wasn’t even worn once during the 1990 World Cup. The only time England have played an official match in this kit was a European Championship qualifier against Turkey in May 1991.
Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped the shirt from seemingly exploded in popularity this summer, and plenty of fans on social media speculated why that might be the case.
Arguably the the most likely reason for this is it’s involvement in pop culture. Popular band “New Order” teamed up with the England football squad in 1990 to release “World in Motion”, which became the team’s only number-one hit single in the UK.
The music video of the song features lead singer Bernard Sumner, popularly known by fans as “Bernie”, wearing the same shirt. Fans were quick to point this out on X.
“People tend to fashion old school more lately,” another fan claimed.
Another fan remembered seeing a supporter wearing one of these kits during the 2022 World Cup as well.
Another fan claimed “retro shirts are much more interesting and individual” than their modern counterparts.
A fan also said that the kit “looking like an official England shirt in Man City colours” could also be a reason for it’s sudden increase in popularity.
Another likely reason for the kit’s sudden surge in popularity is it’s affordable nature. It is much cheaper than the current England World Cup kits, and Sports Direct, the UK’s biggest sportswear retailer, often has it on discount, slashing prices even further. This makes it perhaps the most accessible kit to the average fan.
Though discussion about kits will continue amongst fans, England will be hoping to get the job done on the field and bring football’s biggest prize back home for the first time since 1966.
For their first assignment in the knockout stages, they will face off against DR Congo in the Round of 32.
