Football shirts are more than just kits. They’re stories, identities, and moments stitched into fabric.
Welcome to the first edition of Top 5 Shirts WC26, a new Goalmarkt series where we ask football shirt collectors, designers, and industry figures to rank their favourite shirts from the 2026 World Cup cycle.
For Episode 1, we’re featuring Drake Ramberg (@dramberg) 🇺🇸, a former Nike designer whose work helped shape some of football’s most iconic shirts of the 1990s. Among the designs associated with his career are the legendary 1994–95 Borussia Dortmund Home Shirt and the unforgettable 1995–96 Arsenal Away Shirt — two kits that remain cult favourites among collectors today.
Known for blending bold graphics, storytelling, and cultural references into his work, Drake has spent decades influencing the way football shirts are designed and remembered. Here are his five picks heading into the 2026 World Cup.
“Umbro is back with some really good design work across football. I haven’t seen this shirt in person, but I like the bold zebra print fading at the edges, and the contrasting collar and sleeve trims. There are many others that I like, and are probably more tasteful for wearing on the street, but as you might expect I am drawn to shirts that tell a story and use graphics in a fresh, unexpected way.”
— @dramberg
The DR Congo Home shirt by Umbro is a visually striking piece that signals the brand’s resurgence in football design. Built on a light blue base, the shirt features a bold white zebra-stripe graphic that fades dramatically toward the edges — giving the jersey a layered, almost painterly quality. Red and black trim on the collar and sleeves adds a sharp, nation-coded contrast that ties the design directly to the Congolese flag. As a kit worn in international competition, it punches well above its weight in storytelling and graphic ambition. It’s the kind of shirt that makes you look twice.
“The 1990 Germany Home shirt was iconic especially since they won the title. With Adidas handing Germany over to Nike next year, it makes sense to reference that beloved design. Strong design solution and details.”
— @dramberg
Germany’s 2026 Home shirt is a deliberate, well-executed tribute to one of football’s most iconic kits. The white base carries the unmistakable bold chevron in black, gold, and red — a direct callback to the 1990 West Germany shirt that lifted the World Cup in Rome. Adidas has rendered the graphic in clean, sharp lines across the chest, with the German eagle crest sitting proudly at the centre. With this being Adidas’s final World Cup cycle with the German national team before Nike takes over, the design reads as a fitting farewell — nostalgic without being backward-looking.
“This one has been getting a lot of attention and rightly so. The bold graphics give it a unique look with the way it flows across the shoulders. Great concept, story and execution.”
— @dramberg
The Uruguay Away shirt by Nike is one of the most talked-about kits of the WC26 cycle — and rightly so. Built on a very dark navy base, a bold electric blue graphic erupts from the shoulders and flows down across the chest like a collar of angular shards or spikes. The geometry is deliberate and striking, creating a three-dimensional optical effect unlike anything else in the current cycle. The four-star crest — marking Uruguay’s two World Cup titles — grounds the design in deep heritage, while the execution signals pure modernity. It photographs brilliantly and looks even better on the pitch under the lights.
“I’ve gotta have this one on the list. The US has been in need of a statement look for quite awhile, and this one pays homage to the ’94 shirt but on a new way. Nike’s crest treatments are beautifully executed on this season’s jerseys too.”
— @dramberg
With the 2026 World Cup hosted on American soil, Nike needed to deliver a home shirt worthy of the moment — and they delivered. The USA Home kit features bold diagonal red and white stripes that cut confidently across the body, a modern reinterpretation of the iconic 1994 shirt that introduced the United States to the global stage. The navy collar frames the design cleanly, while the hand-crafted “USA” crest brings a premium, considered feel. For a nation hosting its first World Cup since ’94, this shirt draws a direct, intentional line between past and present. Coming from Drake — a designer who helped define that era — his endorsement carries real weight.
“I saw their Friendly against Wales and the yellow really pops, and the tonal graphic pattern adds surface dimension. Plus storytelling. I think Puma has done a nice job with their African kits this year.”
— @dramberg
Ghana’s Away shirt from Puma claims the top spot, and it’s easy to see why. The rich yellow-gold base is electric — the kind of colour that lights up a stadium even on a grey afternoon. Across the surface, a tonal abstract graphic pattern adds depth and dimension without overpowering the base, evoking texture and cultural identity in equal measure. Red and green trim on the collar and cuffs references the colours of the Ghanaian flag, while the Black Star badge anchors the national story. Puma has brought real intentionality to their African kits this cycle, and Ghana’s Away is the standout of the lot.
Inspired by Drake’s picks? Explore the full World Cup 2026 collection at Goalmarkt — your destination for the best football shirts from every cycle.
