The jerseys of the teams participating in the World Cup do not only wipe away the sweat of the players, they also try to hide the blood and tears inside them. And these jerseys also tell many different stories. Their meanings can be both historical and cultural. Not only that, some are even controversial. What does the jersey of the 2026 World Cup really say? 

Cape Verde is making its debut at the World Cup this time. It is the smallest country to play in the World Cup in terms of both population and area. Its 525,000 people live on 10 islands, which were formed by volcanic eruptions. The triangle on its blue and white jersey says that the air route connecting these islands is connected. 

The hidden meaning is that this World Cup has united the people there. Cape Verde is the team that has recently created a sensation by holding a big country like Spain to a goalless draw. Belgium's jersey is multicolored. So it is said that this is not just a jersey, it is much bigger than this. 

A Belgian painter from the 20th century. His name is Rene Magritte. He always tried to connect the eye and the brain in his art. The Belgian jersey, designed by him, says that it is a part of the human imagination. The most controversial of the World Cup jerseys was Haiti's. 

In 1803, Haiti fought its war of independence. The last moment of that war was on Haiti's jersey. This jersey was dedicated to all those who sacrificed and sacrificed for Haiti's independence. But FIFA thought it was a little too political, so they were not allowed to play wearing this jersey. 

So Haiti had to make a jersey that had a blue color. Argentina is playing this World Cup as the defending champion. The jersey it will wear this time also has a special story. The jersey that Argentina wore in its first match against Algeria had three sky-blue stripes. 

It represented the three World Cups that Argentina has won so far. They were the 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cups. In that sense, Argentina is trying to mark the greatest achievements in football so far on its jersey. Argentina's second-choice jersey is blue and represents the style of wearing colors that are popular in Buenos Aires. 

Like Argentina, France is a country that can be considered the strongest contender for the title. This time, France aims to play in the final for the third time in a row. This French team's second-choice jersey is special and has a connection to the United States. After all, this time the World Cup is being held in America, one of the three co-hosts. 

This jersey features the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the United States long ago. This statue was gifted to strengthen the relationship between France and the United States in 1886. And the slogan of this statue is also amazing in itself and it says, ‘We are different from each other, that is why we are united.’ 

Similarly, Iran’s first choice white jersey has a special species of leopard on top. This is an extremely rare leopard. I am afraid that it will soon become extinct? Iran has been trying to protect it for a long time, but it is having a hard time. Until 1990, there were around 400 such leopards, now it has decreased to a frightening number of 70. 

Of the jerseys used so far in this World Cup, the jersey that has attracted everyone is Norway’s. The most striking so far, this jersey has a lot of red. The letters used in it represent the script of Europe that is hundreds of thousands of years old. Norway is proud of its history, so it wants to show it. 

The yellow color used in Colombia’s jersey also looks equally dark. It is designed in the shape of a butterfly and is dedicated to his country's Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia. Of the three co-hosts, Mexico's jersey represents the Aztec calendar, which is based on the journey of the sun.