In less than two months one of the biggest sporting events in the world is coming up, the men’s World Cup. The tournament, which this time will be held in Canada, Mexico and the USA, is not only the sporting event of the summer, but also the culmination of a historic collaboration – Adidas as the outfitter of the German national soccer team. Starting next year, the German Football Association (DFB) will be working with direct competitor Nike.
For the Herzogenaurach-based sports goods retailer, the focus is initially on this summer, for which he is already promoting the drum with a number of campaigns such as a recent ‘vintage jersey’ market in Shanghai. The advertising also seems to work well for the DFB’s current away jersey. Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen emphasized that the start of sales was “very successful”. “The demand in the first few days was even higher than for the 2024 European Championship away jersey.”
FashionUnited took this as an opportunity to talk to Mateo Kossmann about the last DFB jersey, the collaboration with a total of 26 nations, as well as the current football trends and influences of the second-hand market. Kossmann is Global Category Director – Licensed Football Apparel (Federations) at Adidas and is responsible for working with the national teams and has just returned from a business trip to Mexico.
The perfect time to get the ball rolling.
Let’s start with the process: How is a national team’s jersey actually created?
The process of creating a jersey is a long, collaborative process that takes between 18 and 24 months. It’s not that Adidas or the federation dictates the terms; it is a shared process with various milestones. Together we define the stories we want to tell, the colors we want to explore and the elements that are important to the jerseys.
At Adidas, we also analyze consumers and fans to understand what resonates with them and what stories appeal to their emotions. We combine the fans’ insights, the association’s perspective and the seasonal identity of Adidas Football and then develop the kit through several rounds of feedback.
This year marks the end of the partnership with the DFB. How did you feel when you started the project?
The collaboration and the common path with the DFB and the German national team are long and special for Adidas. Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, we knew we couldn’t disappoint.
We put a lot of love and care into developing a very strong collection for the team. We have a significant history together – with many ups and downs – and while we look back on the experience, we also focus on how the German national team should perform in the biggest World Cup of all time in 2026.
While the home jersey is inspired by the 1990 World Cup victory, the away jersey pays homage to several eras of your shared history. Using this example, could you walk us through the design process for such a kit?
For Germany 2026, the home jersey celebrates past successes in a unique way. It takes elements of winning jerseys but reimagines them so fans have a sense of familiarity, but at the same time see something new and exciting to wear in the US, Mexico and Canada.
There is more flexibility with the away jerseys. While a home kit – like the white of Germany or the red of Spain – is traditional, away kits allow us to meet different expectations. Germany already had green, black and even pink jerseys. For 2026 we have chosen blue. This draws on various historical elements: a blue jersey used in a friendly match, the dark blue of Franz Beckenbauer’s first Adidas tracksuit and the blue training kit that our founder and the team often wore in the 90s.
We incorporated these references into the kit while maintaining a diamond structure connection between the home and away designs. The specially developed material of the Authentic jersey plays with light and dark shades of blue to create a “denim” look depending on the angle. This shade of blue is very wearable both on and off the pitch, and this implementation was a huge effort by the Adidas and DFB teams.
The last time the Trefoil logo adorned a national team jersey was 36 years ago. Was his return the icing on the cake to celebrate this collaboration?
Definitely for Germany. Adidas always brings its best to these major events. When planning, we decided to use both the Performance logo on the home jersey and the Trefoil on the away jersey to celebrate the brand in different ways. For the home jersey, our focus was on “our lives, our colors,” emphasizing the national flag and identity.
The away kit focuses more on the cultural element. For us, the Trefoil doesn’t just mean “retro” or “nostalgia” – it stands for culture, which can be interpreted in many ways. Although the design may contain nostalgic references, the material and technology offer players maximum performance.
We applied this cultural storytelling to different nations: a “blooming desert” story for Chile, the blue diamond story for Germany, and a stylish kit inspired by Spanish book covers for Spain. You can only be successful if you work closely with local teams and associations to ensure that the design really reflects what people want.
In total you are currently working with 26 nations. Aside from each country having its own history, what are the biggest differences?
With 26 partners from different parts of the world, there is no way to completely standardize the process. Every culture is different. Some partners are very opinionated and involved, while others give us more leeway. We’ve had meetings where designs received standing ovations and others where we debated every detail, from the texture of the cuffs to the exact Pantone shade of the flag. Ultimately it is a partnership; Both sides have to be happy with the direction, otherwise it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long term.
Is there a particular story behind a detail on a jersey that particularly inspired you?
Japan is always special. The association has a very clear vision. They wanted to visualize the concept of “going beyond the horizon”. We visualized this horizon on the home jersey and the possibilities that lie beyond it on the away jersey. They wanted twelve colors on the jersey to represent the eleven players and the fans. We decided that the fans’ color should be red – the color of the flag and passion – and placed a red stripe in the middle of the jersey. We even included a red zipper on the anthem jacket as a subtle nod to this story.
Another example is Curaçao. They qualified late so we had to act quickly. Instead of a standard white away kit, we spoke to the people of the island about their culture. They described blue waves, beaches and the bright colors of a special city. We chose a unique, wearable yellow colorway with branding details that stand out and create a fresh look for summer without going over the top.
Today, the Trefoil logo is particularly associated with the Originals lifestyle brand. Does this also build a bridge to football as a trend?
Football is a global sport that influences lifestyle and fashion far beyond the pitch. When we design a kit, visuals during play are a priority, but we also know that it has deep symbolic meaning for the culture. For 2026, we’ve ensured fans can represent their teams in a variety of ways: with long-sleeve versions, authentic and replica versions, crop jerseys and even “Bringback” remixes with oversized, fashion-forward fits.
When you release a kit, people talk. The fashion world takes inspiration from iconic eras such as the 90s or 2000s, and we are seeing more and more non-traditional brands enter the football space. We think this is great because it brings the best to the fans.
You mentioned the 90s and 2000s, two decades that have also shaped fashion trends in recent years. What “throwback era” is football culture in at the moment?
The ’90s produced very unique, iconic designs that continue to inspire us. However, we are slowly seeing a shift towards 2000s trends as Gen Z becomes more relevant. As humans, we are naturally nostalgic, but that doesn’t mean we should simply recreate what already exists. We must cleverly use references from the past to create something reinterpreted.
Argentina’s home jersey is a perfect example. To celebrate their three World Cups, we looked at the 1978, 1986 and 2022 jerseys. We combined their three different shades of light blue to create new fading artwork on the stripes. We also added a crest with a holographic effect showing the years of victory. It feels familiar yet new for the reigning world champions.
The older jerseys are also highly sought after items on the second-hand market. To what extent is this relevant for Adidas?
It’s another way to celebrate football. Whether people want the latest performance gear or a loose, retro fit with a specific sponsor, we celebrate that excitement.
Our “Bringbacks” program takes an “archaeological” approach to creating faithful replicas of jerseys. We replicate the specific fabrics, crests and suede effects – we just change small internal labels for modern regulations. These will be available to many associations in 2026.
At the final whistle: What is your absolute favorite national jersey?
I’m originally from Uruguay, so I have several jerseys from my youth that I will never part with. But if I had to choose an iconic design, it would be the DFB home jersey from 1990. That look – the colors, the contrast and the combination of simplicity and “loudness” – still excites me a lot.
This interview was conducted in English and translated using digital tools.