Gear

A Feathered Serpent Deity Inspires Mexico's Beautiful Jersey For The World Cup

Well, now it is official-official. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and adidas unveiled the jersey El Tri will wear in the upcoming 2022 World Cup. The big news? After almost four years in oblivion, the color green is back to business.  

Mexico 2022 World Cup Jersey

Although journalist Leon Krause spoiled the surprise a couple of weeks ago — publishing a picture of his kids wearing the kit — the official launch allowed us to see new details of the shirt and get an idea of how it looks on the national team players. 

adidas also revealed the thought behind the design. 

As I said in the first paragraph, after 59 games wearing white or black (almost four years), the traditional green is again on the Mexican skin. And it's not alone. The jersey also has a zigzag pattern inspired by the neck feathers of Quetzalcoatl — the Feathered Serpent — the god of life and creator of the world and humanity in several pre-Hispanic cultures. 

The vibrant red you see on the neck and in the classic adidas stripes on the shoulders enhance the effect. 

The divine presence is also visible inside the neck featuring a headdress called copilli, a word from the Nahuátl that means crown. The significance? According to the press release, the copilli "in ancient Mexican culture represented religious and noble power," lending "spiritual strength and valor to anyone who wears it."

Another new element is the debut on the chest of the new national team badge, revealed last December.

James Webb, senior product designer at adidas, also had some words about the new kit.

"We wanted to capture the spirit of the nation with a design that is deeply rooted in the culture of Mexico," he said. "The head and feathered headdress of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl is displayed with pride on the shirt, which features a completely new crest. We hope it will help be a symbol to bring the players and fans together as they meet with their toughest opponents."

The Mexico 2022 World Cup jersey will debut on Monday, July 11, when the women's national team faces the U.S. in the Concacaf W Championship. Fans, on the other hand, will have the chance to buy it starting on Saturday, July 9. 

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