Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images
16 teams, 32 jerseys…who’s the cream of the crop?
Copa América is almost here! By the time you read this, we’ll be less than 24 hours from the South American tournament kicking off on our borders.
The opening match starts off this Thursday between defending Copa champions Argentina and Canada. When the teams step out onto the field, they will be doing so in their new jerseys that were released earlier this year. In fact, each of the 16 teams in the tournament enter Copa América with fresh jerseys
In any competition, you’ll have some fantastic jersey combinations. And, you will also have some hideous ones. Whenever a team takes the field for a major competition, their fans hope they are doing so looking good.
Unfortunately, some teams look better than others. And that’s what we’re here to discuss.
Across 16 teams, there are 32 jerseys. Let’s go through the list from worst to best team jersey sets at Copa América.
16. Panama
Panama has a new crest, but unfortunately it looks like they opted for Reebok’s plain templates. A plain red home jersey and plain white road jersey just doesn’t generate excitement.
15. Chile
Chile’s red home jersey has a sublimated design that makes it look better than a plain offering, but it isn’t enough to combat an away jersey that looks phoned in. They normally look good on the field, but right now they will get lost amongst the sea of red and white jerseys out there.
14. Uruguay
Uruguay left Puma for Nike, but their first offering leaves a ton to be desired. The small pinstripes on both jerseys don’t pop on TV, so you’re left with a jersey that just looks plain. For a team that expects to contend for the Copa América title, they should have done better on the jersey front.
13. Venezuela
The home Venezuela jersey boasts the Vinotinto color that they’re known for, but another jersey element would have helped here. The away jersey is interesting, but the design could have flowed better into the rest of the jersey. If the jersey had more yellow, it would have looked more distinctive.
12. Canada
Canada finally got some new jerseys after skipping out on some before the 2022 World Cup. While the old school Nike logo and pinstripes gives the away jersey a nice vintage feel, the home jersey seems like they needed another few years to design something a lot better. That’s a huge disappointment, especially given the wait.
11. Mexico
Objectively, Mexico’s away jersey might be one of the best in the tournament. That home jersey, however, might be one of the worst. It’s a controversial pick, but red is not their color and it should not be their home jersey. And the design just doesn’t work at all. Some may like it, but Mexico has a traditional look and this is a terrible departure from it.
10. Colombia
Colombia’s yellow jerseys are really nice, and so are the away black jerseys. There’s not a lot of design here, which is why they are in the bottom 6.
9. Bolivia
Bolivia has a nice home jersey, going with the light green as a departure from their normal forest green. Pairing that with a deep red away jersey makes for a pretty good look. Outside of the home jersey’s sleeves, there isn’t much in the way of design here, opting to focus on the color.
8. Costa Rica
Costa Rica really went for it here, and they did a decent job with it. The home jersey’s design is interesting, but the jury’s still out on whether it’s elite or a dud. They get some points for add some design to their away jersey as well to give it some pop, and the new crest looks great on the home.
7. Paraguay
Paraguay rarely has to do much with their traditional vertical red and white stripes, and still they are able to make it look good. Adding some elements within the red stripes and the royal blue trim ties in so well with their traditional them and looks great. There’s a cool Hawaiian vibe with their away jersey, and the light blue paired with the other blues makes for a very nice look.
6. USA
The away jersey may have mixed reviews, but it’s one of the best jerseys in this tournament and gets the USMNT barely into the top six. The home jersey has the flag elements on the collar and sleeve, but the mismatched royal blue on the collar and the navy blue numbers knock them down a bit. Conjuring the feels of the 2014 Bomb Pops, the away jersey does look really good with the red shorts.
5. Ecuador
Ecuador’s jerseys since their jersey rebrand have been really well done and they stick within a theme. Here, they have the navy sash on the yellow home jersey, and that blue sash becomes horizontal on the away jersey to give it some added pop. They will look great on the field as well, and hopefully they pair the white jersey with navy shorts for even more pop.
4. Brazil
Brazil’s home jerseys are iconic, and this year’s edition is really nice. The sleeve trim gives a nice touch of zing to the jersey. The away jersey is one of the better ones they’ve had with the horizontal pinstripes and the light green trim. The center crest is the only reason these aren’t ranked higher.
3. Argentina
Speaking of iconic jerseys, the home Argentina jersey is one of those that doesn’t need to do much to look good. What really sets them off is pairing it with an away jersey that has royal blue with their light blue as trim. Of course, the World Cup champions badge is unbeatable and really looks good on both the home and away.
2. Peru
Peru’s white jersey with a red sash is always amazing, and this might be one of the best versions of that. There’s a red trip across the bottom that flows into the sash on one side, and the gold trim makes it look elegant. The road jersey is a cool one, with the black torso and the maroon tiger stripes on the sleeves and shoulders. Once again, the gold trim makes it pop.
1. Jamaica
Jamaica has the best jersey set in this competition, full stop. The home jersey combines all their elements so well with the yellow jersey, the green sleeves and shoulders, and the black trim. The away jersey? Epic. The bespoke design is up there among some of the best national team jerseys on the planet, and they will always look good when they step on the field. They understood the assignment, and that’s why their jerseys are the best in this competition.
