The adidas Trefoil returns to the World Cup after 36 years
The adidas Trefoil is returning to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since Italia ’90, appearing across a collection of 2026 away shirts inspired by the era in which the logo last appeared on football’s biggest stage.
Introduced by adidas in 1972, the three-leaf Trefoil was originally created as a performance logo for the brand’s expanding apparel range. Over time, it became inseparable from classic football shirts of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, before later becoming the symbol of adidas Originals.
For the 2026 World Cup, adidas has brought the Trefoil back to international match shirts through its away kit collection. Thirteen qualified nations have confirmed away jerseys carrying the historic logo, while co-host Mexico has also introduced a Trefoil-branded third shirt.
That means 14 confirmed outfield shirts belonging to teams at the 2026 World Cup will feature the adidas Trefoil.
Every adidas Trefoil shirt confirmed for the 2026 World Cup
Thirteen qualified nations have adidas away shirts featuring the Trefoil for the 2026 World Cup, while co-host Mexico has also introduced a Trefoil-branded third kit.
Algeria
AwayDeep green shirt with darker sleeves, white shoulder stripes and red trim, continuing the collection’s tribute to Algeria’s varied landscapes.
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Argentina
AwayBlack base with large swirling blue graphics inspired by Argentine traditional motifs, including stylised floral and climbing-plant forms.
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Belgium
AwayPale blue and pink design paying tribute to Belgian artist René Magritte and the country’s Surrealist tradition.
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Colombia
AwayDeep blue shirt with a darker wave-like graphic and bright yellow Trefoil details, referencing Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
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Curaçao
AwayAlmost-yellow jersey with blue, turquoise, orange and pink details inspired by the colourful buildings of Willemstad.
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Germany
AwayDeep navy design with tonal zig-zag graphics and light-blue details, referencing historic Germany adidas training tops.
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Japan
AwayOff-white shirt with twelve coloured stripes representing the eleven players and the wider Japanese football family.
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Mexico
AwayWhite shirt with a tonal geometric pattern, dark green and red detailing and design references to sacred geometry and ancient temples.
View kit details →Mexico
ThirdTonal “MX” patterned third shirt with a V-neck collar and “Somos México” detail. It is the only additional Trefoil outfield shirt confirmed beyond the thirteen away kits.
Qatar
AwayWhite design with maroon branding and a subtle tonal print inspired by Qatar’s sweeping desert sands.
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Saudi Arabia
AwayWhite alternative shirt with a subtle tonal graphic, gold Trefoil branding and dark green detailing.
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Scotland
AwayScarlet red shirt with purple pinstripes, revisiting a change colour last used by Scotland during the 1980s.
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South Africa
AwayDeep green base with tonal vertical patterned stripes and gold detailing, continuing South Africa’s green-and-gold sporting identity.
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Spain
AwayOff-white jersey with a pyrite-toned pattern inspired by drawings and graphic ornaments found in classic Spanish manuscripts.
View kit details →Sources: adidas World Cup 2026 Trefoil away collection and adidas Mexico third kit release .
The complete list of World Cup-qualified nations with adidas Trefoil away shirts is Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Curaçao, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa and Spain. Mexico is the only nation currently confirmed with two Trefoil outfield shirts for the tournament: its away and third kits.
The broader adidas release also included Trefoil away shirts for partner federations that are not taking part in the 2026 World Cup finals. Those shirts are part of the wider 2026 international collection, but they are not counted in this World Cup list.
Why the 2026 Trefoil return matters
For many football supporters, the Trefoil immediately recalls a specific era of international shirts: wide collars, geometric graphics, jacquard fabrics and the bold adidas designs associated with World Cups before the brand moved towards its later performance logo.
The 2026 collection does not simply place an old mark onto modern shirts. Its strongest designs deliberately connect present-day national teams with adidas’ World Cup archive.
Argentina’s black away shirt is one of the clearest examples. Rather than revisiting the national team’s familiar sky-blue stripes, it uses blue swirling graphics across a dark base, creating a shirt that feels modern while carrying the same Trefoil seen on Argentina’s 1990 World Cup home kit.
Germany’s away shirt also carries an unusual amount of historical weight. The navy design references different periods of German adidas trainingwear, while the Trefoil reconnects the national team with the logo associated with the final World Cup of its original on-pitch era in 1990.
Mexico’s shirts add another layer to the story. As a co-host in 2026, Mexico will become the first nation to host three men’s World Cups, after 1970 and 1986. Its away shirt uses architecture-inspired patterning, while its third kit adds a tonal “MX” graphic. Both carry the Trefoil, giving Mexico the broadest representation of the returning logo at its home tournament.
Belgium’s away shirt takes a different route, drawing on surrealism and René Magritte rather than a previous football kit. The phrase “Ceci n’est pas un maillot” turns the shirt into a cultural reference as much as a sporting one, echoing the Belgian artist’s famous challenge to the meaning of images.
Curaçao’s away shirt is another notable release. The pastel yellow design references Willemstad and will accompany the country’s first World Cup appearance. For a tournament debutant, wearing a logo so closely tied to historic World Cup kits gives the shirt an immediate connection to adidas’ wider football archive.
From performance logo to football icon
The Trefoil predates its modern association with adidas Originals. adidas introduced it in 1972, at a time when the company was expanding beyond footwear into sports apparel. Its three leaf-shaped elements were designed to stand out clearly on clothing while retaining a visual relationship with the company’s three stripes.
Two years later, the Trefoil made its World Cup shirt debut at the 1974 tournament in West Germany. From that point onwards, it appeared through one of the most visually distinctive periods in international football shirt design.
By the late 1980s and the 1990 World Cup, the Trefoil had become part of the visual language of international football. Italia ’90 would ultimately mark its final appearance on World Cup match shirts before the logo’s 2026 return.
Iconic World Cup shirts from the Trefoil era
Netherlands 1974 home shirt
The Netherlands’ orange adidas shirt from the 1974 World Cup belongs to the opening chapter of the Trefoil’s tournament history. Worn during the side’s famous run to the final, it remains associated with Johan Cruyff, Total Football and one of the most influential national teams never to win the tournament.
The shirt also produced one of football kit history’s most unusual details. Cruyff, who had a personal relationship with Puma, wore a specially modified Netherlands jersey with two sleeve stripes rather than adidas’ usual three.
Belgium 1986 home shirt
Belgium’s dark red adidas home shirt from Mexico ’86 is closely tied to the country’s historic run to the semi-finals. Its long-sleeved silhouette and understated striping represent a different side of the Trefoil era: less geometric than some later adidas designs, but strongly connected to a landmark World Cup campaign.
More than forty years later, adidas selected the Belgium 1986 shirt as one of the designs revived in its 2026 World Cup Bringback Collection.
France 1986 away shirt
France’s 1986 away shirt combined a white base with red and blue adidas shoulder stripes, a classic collar and a visible Trefoil beside the FFF crest. It is a particularly clean example of how the adidas logo sat within national-team identity during the period: recognisable, prominent and fully integrated into the shirt rather than treated as a retro reference.
Germany 1990 shirts
Germany’s 1990 World Cup designs remain among the most recognisable shirts adidas has ever produced. The geometric black, red and gold graphics used across the collection became inseparable from the tournament and Germany’s World Cup-winning campaign.
For its 2026 Bringback Collection, adidas specifically revived the Germany 1990 away design and described its chest graphic as one of the brand’s most iconic. That choice is significant: 1990 was the final World Cup at which the Trefoil appeared before its 36-year absence from the tournament stage.
Argentina 1990 home shirt
Argentina’s 1990 home shirt offers one of the clearest visual bridges between the old and new Trefoil eras. The shirt featured the national team’s traditional sky-blue and white stripes, the AFA crest and a black adidas Trefoil on the chest.
It was worn during Argentina’s run to the final in Italy, making it one of the last prominent World Cup shirts to carry the original adidas emblem before its return in 2026.
Netherlands 1990 home shirt
The Netherlands’ 1990 home shirt presented the Trefoil in one of its simplest forms: a bright orange jersey with a white collar, white shoulder stripes, the KNVB crest and the adidas logo on the chest.
Compared with the heavily patterned Dutch shirt of 1988, the 1990 design was restrained, but it remains significant as part of the final World Cup collection of the original Trefoil era.
The World Cup ball has a different Trefoil timeline
The Trefoil’s World Cup story is not limited to shirts.
adidas has supplied the official World Cup match ball since the Telstar at Mexico 1970. However, the company states that the first World Cup ball to carry the Trefoil was the Tango España, used at the 1982 tournament in Spain.
That creates two separate landmarks in adidas World Cup history: the Trefoil first appeared on World Cup shirts in 1974, before making its debut on an official World Cup match ball in 1982.
A historic logo returns in a new era
The return of the adidas Trefoil at the 2026 World Cup is more than a retro styling decision. It reconnects current international kits with a design period that produced some of the most recognisable shirts in tournament history.
For Argentina, Germany and Mexico, the logo strengthens the connection between their new shirts and their long adidas World Cup histories. For Curaçao, it becomes part of a first-ever appearance at the tournament. For Belgium and Japan, it provides the foundation for kits that combine national cultural references with the visual language of football’s past.
Thirty-six years after its last World Cup appearance, the Trefoil is back on international shirts. The 2026 tournament will decide which of those new designs are remembered alongside the classics.
adidas Trefoil World Cup kits: frequently asked questions
When was the adidas Trefoil last seen at a World Cup?
The Trefoil last appeared on World Cup shirts at Italia ’90. Its return in 2026 ends a 36-year absence from the tournament.
How many 2026 World Cup shirts feature the adidas Trefoil?
Fourteen confirmed outfield shirts belonging to World Cup-qualified nations feature the Trefoil: thirteen away shirts and Mexico’s additional third shirt.
Which 2026 World Cup teams have Trefoil away shirts?
Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Curaçao, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa and Spain.
Does Mexico have two Trefoil World Cup shirts?
Yes. Mexico’s 2026 away shirt and its third shirt both carry the adidas Trefoil.
When was the adidas Trefoil introduced?
adidas introduced the Trefoil in 1972 as a performance apparel logo. It later became closely associated with adidas Originals.
When did the Trefoil first appear at the World Cup?
The Trefoil first appeared on World Cup shirts at the 1974 tournament. According to adidas, it first appeared on an official World Cup match ball with the Tango España in 1982.
