The new Nigeria home kit to be worn at the World Cup 2018 in Russia was sold out minutes after its release on Friday morning as hundreds of fans queued outside London’s NikeTown store in Oxford Street. The kit, modelled by Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi amongst others, has been hailed as the best kit of all of those to be seen in Russia this summer, with Nike having to push the release date back earlier this week due to such high demand. Nike had already received three million pre-order for the shirt before it officially went on sale on Friday. YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed Show all 47 1 /47 YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed Drum roll please, ladies and gents. Here are the best World Cup kits, as voted for by you. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Saudi Arabia home They say: A home shirt combining the traditional home kit colors of the country, white and green. Our verdict: Another absolutely plain kit! Yippee! Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Saudi Arabia away They say: The away jersey is green and white, based on the same design as the home kit. Our verdict: Green. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Egypt away They say: White, based on the popular Condivo 18 template. Our verdict: Classic. Rather like the old Germany home shirt. B+. Getty YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Costa Rica home They say: The Costa Rica home kit features a subtle DNA lines design on the front. It is mainly red with a white crew neck collar, the traditional colors of the country. Our verdict: Looks a bit like the kind of knock-off football shirt you'd find on a dodgy south London market stand, with 'GOONERS' written across the chest instead of an Arsenal badge. New Balance YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Poland home They say: White with a red collar and a red Swoosh on the right chest. Our verdict: Just like the England home kit, only marginally more interesting. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. Poland red They say: Red, based on the same template and featuring the same graphic found on the home shirt. Our verdict: Just like the England away kit, only, urm, marginally more interesting. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. South Korea home They say: A classic red design with dark blue shorts and red socks. Our verdict: Boring. Plain. Routine. Run-of-the-mill. Humdrum, Dreary. Banal. Unoriginal. Spiritless. Insipid. Etc. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed NA. South Korea away They say: Predominantly white, with a bold blue and red graphic print subtly inspired by a tiger pattern and the Taegeuk symbol. Our verdict: Much better, although it does look a bit like a crayon wielding toddler has been let loose on the new England shirt. Which nevertheless remains a huge improvement. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 38. Tunisia away – 0% of the vote They say: The Tunisia 2018 World Cup away shirt is red with white details. Our verdict: If this football shirt was a British sporting personality, it would also be Steve Davis. Uhlsport YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 37. Tunisia home – 0% They say: White with red crew-neck collar and cuffs, and a dotted gradient graphic. Our verdict: If this football shirt was a British sporting personality, it would be Steve Davis. Uhlsport YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 36. Sweden away – 0% They say: Adidas claim the away kit features ‘a sleek design in blue and yellow’. Our verdict: That subtle pattern is very nice. One of the better ‘plain Jane’ kits to be worn in Russia. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 35. Sweden home – 0% They say: The traditional yellow and blue, with a subtle jacquard pattern on the front. Our verdict: Nothing to write home about, to be honest. Unless you’re writing the solitary word ‘BORING’, that is. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 34. Spain away – 0% They say: Another 1980s inspired kit. ‘Halo blue’ with bright orange trim. Our verdict: It’s … okay. Not a patch on that smashing home effort, mind. Getty YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 33. Mexico away – 0% They say: Draws inspiration from Mexico’s kits of the 1950s. White with a green, white and red chest stripe. Our verdict: Looks a bit like something Roger Federer would wear to win the Australian Open. And we’re very much okay with that. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 32. Mexico home – 0% They say: Manufactured by Adidas, featuring the country’s traditional green colour with white applications. Our verdict: Yum. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 31. Japan away – 0% They say: An understated all-white kit with subtle grey trim. Our verdict: Adidas deliver a top-draw kit yet again. A lovely way to round off the gallery. Thanks for reading! Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 30. Iceland away – 0% They say: The reverse of the home shirt. Our verdict: Yes, we can confirm that this is the exact reverse of the home shirt. Errea YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 29. Iceland home – 0% They say: An Errea produced kit which incorporates the traditional home colours of blue, red and white. Our verdict: Nice, if a little bit bargain basement. Errea YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 28. Uruguay home – 1% They say: A clean design in ‘silver lake blue’, with an ‘engineered jacquard graphic’ in the middle of the jersey. Our verdict: What’s Spanish for ‘horrific v neck’? Puma YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 27. Spain home – 1% They say: Made by Adidas and inspired by the classic 1994 home strip. Our verdict: GET IT ON MY TORSO NOW. Getty Images YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 26. Serbia away – 1% They say: White with red trim, with the nation’s flag running down the centre. Our verdict: Very difficult to criticise. But we'll have a go: the collar is a bit naff. Other than that, no complaints. Now be on your way, Serbia away. Puma YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 25. Russia away – 1% They say: A smart strip in white and blue with subtle geometric pattern. Our verdict: Now that’s more like it! Big mistake not making this the home kit in our ever so humble opinion. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 24. Portugal away – 1% They say: An all-white design inspired by the country’s naval history. Our verdict: Cleaner than Kim Woodburn’s kitchen. Lovely stuff. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 23. Nigeria away – 1% They say: A clean design in dark green with subtle zigzag print. Our verdict: Oh dear, clearly Nike used all their budget on the home shirt. About as exciting as a Songs of Praise marathon. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 22. France away – 1% They say: White shirt, blue sleeves and white socks – with a distinct graphic print. Our verdict: Why couldn’t Nike have given this to England?! As smooth as Zinedine Zidane’s shiny bald head. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 21. Colombia away – 1% They say: Predominantly royal blue, with bright orange trim and a jazzy pattern down one side of the shirt. Our verdict: Very solid. Colombia right up there with Germany for the best pair of shirts in the business. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 20. Colombia home – 1% They say: Produced by Adidas with a traditional colour scheme, inspired by the iconic home shirts worn in the 1970s and 80s. Our verdict: Yessssssss. If it’s good enough for James Rodriguez it’s good enough for us. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 19. Brazil away – 1% They say: Based on the same design as the home shirt. Royal blue with a unique star pattern covering the front. Our verdict: Yeah, fine, okay. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 18. Argentina away – 1% They say: Black jerseys with neat white and blue trim, white shorts, black socks. Our verdict: Woof. Coming to a five-a-side court near you very soon. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 17. Portugal home – 3% They say: The red base from Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph is retained, with Nike introducing ‘gold-metallic trim’ and a green collar. Our verdict: Yup, it’s a template. But that doesn’t stop it from looking smart. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 16. Egypt home – 3% They say: A ‘sleek and modern’ kit with sublimated check pattern on the front and white Adidas strips down the sides. Our verdict: Decent. Would make a nice Manchester United kit. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 15. Brazil home – 3% They say: A traditional effort with subtle zigzag pattern. Our verdict: Why change a winning formula? Bright, bold and very much Brazil. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 14. Belgium away – 3% They say: Yellow and black with a slight all-over graphic print. Our verdict: Yet another sublime Adidas away kit. *Wolfwhistles* Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 13. Peru home – 3% They say: The last ever Umbro kit for the country – Marathon Sports take over next year. Our verdict: You don’t get more traditional than this. A proper football kit for proper football men. You can shove your xG up your a***, etc. Umbro YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 12. Japan home – 3% hey say: According to Adidas: ‘the shirt’s bespoke look and graphic takes inspiration from traditional samurai armour’. Our verdict: Really lovely kit. Deserves better than the inevitable group stage exit. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 11. Croatia away – 3% They say: The same template as the home shirt, but with a black and dark blue colour scheme. Our verdict: Very, very nice. A slightly gothic interpretation of the home shirt we all know and love. The football kit equivalent of Late Night Hollyoaks. YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 10. Croatia home – 3% They say: Nike offer a new interpretation of the team’s iconic checker design, with much larger checks than usual. Our verdict: Will look great on Luka Modric if he can keep himself out of prison long enough to wear it. YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 9. Argentina home – 3% They say: A classic effort that draws inspiration from the 1993 Copa America strip, coincidentally the last time Argentina won a major title. Our verdict: A stylish strip befitting of little Leo Messi. Top drawer. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 8. England away – 4% They say: Red all over with a subtle St George’s Cross motif across the front. Our verdict: It’s red. It has a bit of a pattern thing going on across the front. We’ve already forgotten about it. Next. Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 7. Germany home – 5% They say: White, black and inspired by the iconic 1990 strip. Our verdict: You’ve already seen this, and you already love it. If only it featured the colours of the German flag, though… Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 6. France home – 5% They say: A traditional look with blue jersey, white shorts and red socks. Our verdict: Another template. Another sexy kit. Damn you, Nike! Nike YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 5. Belgium home – 6% They say: A bold design that takes inspiration from the iconic 1984 top. Our verdict: Cracking. Atones for those atrocious Burrda efforts they’ve been palmed off with at the last few tournaments. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 4. Germany away – 5% They say: The first green German jersey since Euro 2012, inspired by the 1994 away effort. Our verdict: It's Adidas. It's green. It's great. Let me wear you, Germany away. Adidas YOUR World Cup kit ratings revealed 3. England home – 9% They say: Manufactured by Nike, with a white base with blue for logos and a modern knit pattern on the front.<doc-sep>With the 21st FIFA World Cup underway, you can find soccer fans worldwide proudly displaying their country's jerseys — but you'd be hard-pressed to find a team kit as in demand as that of Nigeria's Super Eagles. Featuring a lime green and white zigzag pattern, the Nike-designed jersey sold out in a matter of minutes as eager fans queued up, ready to spend $90. Nigeria Twitter Prior to its official June 1 release date, Nike had already received 3 million pre-orders for the jersey, according to the Nigerian Football Federation. That sets a new pre-order record for an African team and even some of the biggest soccer clubs in the world. To put that into perspective, top-three soccer club Manchester United sold the most jerseys globally in 2016, with 2.85 million sales. Such high demand for a Nigerian jersey is unprecedented, but its unique retro design makes it broadly appealing to fashionistas and sports enthusiasts alike, NFF head Shefu Diko said in an interview with ESPN. TWEET With its popularity, however, has come an influx of low-priced counterfeits, to the aggravation of Nigerian football's governing body. In 2015, the organization agreed to partner with Nike in a lucrative three-and-a-half-year deal worth $3.75 million — plus a $500,000 bonus if the Super Eagles qualified for the 2018 Russia World Cup, which they did. However, the continuing sale of fake jerseys could hurt future partnership deals and cheapen their overall brand, Diko told ESPN.<doc-sep>
Nigeria’s stylish soccer kit has been one of the major stories of the 2018 soccer World Cup. Since being unveiled in February, the kit has become a fashion item and have been voted the best jersey at the World Cup. Nigeria’s soccer federation claimed there were pre-orders of up to three million jerseys and sales matched the hype too: it sold out on Nike’s website within hours of release and there were long lines at Nike stores to get hold of one. The jersey has been selling for nearly double its retail price on secondary markets. But the scarcity and the hype around the kit has been a boon for the international bootleggers doing brisk multi-million dollar business from Asia to Europe and Nigeria. The first sign came a week before the kit was officially released when several fans wore counterfeits during a pre-World Cup friendly game. Sourcing supply Alex, a Lagos-based businessman who has dealt in counterfeit jerseys since 2011, says current demand exceeds that of the last World Cup jersey by about “1000%.” Illegal factories in China, operating close to licensed manufacturers across Asia, are usually the first port of call for fake jerseys. With its production lines catering to both high and low grade fakes, Chinese factories offers bootleggers a range of options to satisfy local demand. Thailand, a smaller source, is known more for producing top-grade fakes known as Thai AAA. Thai counterfeit makers have gotten better at the imitation game over the years as, at first glance, Thai AAA fakes look very similar to licensed versions. But upon a closer look, differences in “finishing and texture” become clear, says Alex who asked for his last name not to be used for this story. With tens of millions of enthusiastic soccer fans who are known to support many top European soccer clubs but cannot afford expensive original jerseys, Nigeria is a bootlegger’s dream target market. Alex alone has brought in a shipment of 2,000 Thai AAA jerseys (valued at 20 million naira ($55,000) in sales) in the past two months. But his Guangzhou-based supplier—just one of many large scale producers of fakes—confirms that the business has shipped over 30,000 jerseys (worth up to 300 million naira ($830,000) in sales) to bootleggers in Nigeria alone, with another 20,000 shipped to sellers outside Nigeria. However, while sourcing the kit is one thing, getting them to Nigeria is another as Chinese and Thai suppliers claim they can only move shipments at night to avoid seizure by local law enforcement clamping down on counterfeits. AP Photo/Matt Dunham Nigeria in the much sought after jersey. Price dynamics Thai AAA jerseys typically cost $8 before shipping. To get shipments to Nigeria, bootleggers have two options: regular shipping with a two week delivery window or express shipping which delivers in two days—at the cost of an extra $3 per kilogram. A crucial part of bringing them in and reducing the final landing cost is avoiding run-ins with Nigerian customs officers who levy arbitrary levies on incoming items. As a workaround, bootleggers often use shipping services that import a large volume of goods and, more importantly, already have existing relationships with customs officers. The fake jerseys hardly draw special attention from customs officers though as they “just look at it as textile,” Alex says. Unwittingly, Nike’s $90 retail price—more than most Nigerian soccer fans can afford—and its limited production has boosted the value of fakes. ”Initially, the price was 7,000 naira ($19) but when Nike ran out of stock, people upped the price to 15,000 naira ($41),” Alex says. Yet demand has not wavered. Indeed, in the past month, Alex has set up international shipping arrangements to deliver orders from Spain, Denmark, Dubai. South Africa, India and Egypt. Even though the Nigeria’s Super Eagles are unlikely to go far at the World Cup, their jerseys are proving a big win for bootleggers. “The volume of business we’ve done with this Nigerian jersey exceeds all we’ve ever done every season in the last seven years,” Alex tells Quartz.