Mexico Reveals Their Away Kit for the 2022 World Cup, Inspired by the Deity Quetzalcoatl

As football teams from around the world prepare for this year’s World Cup, Mexico has just released their away kit for the 2022 games in Qatar after revealing their home kit just over a month ago.

Contrasting the green and red home kit, representing Mexico on the global stage, the away kit offers a much subtler red and black design, also inspired by the ancient and contemporary history of pre-Hispanic culture all the way to modern Mexico.

A report from the LA Times digs into the symbolism of the jersey in more detail following a statement from the kit’s manufacturer, adidas. The jersey is adorned by a number of recognizable symbols that are integral to Mexico’s history, including the malinalli, a tall grass that connects outer space with an underground netherworld.

The jersey also incorporates a conch shell, reflective of the Mesoamerican god Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, who embodies the duality of life’s first and last breaths. Additionally, the jersey features the spiral, an image that evokes the words inspired by truth, song and poetry, as well as the speaking stick of the “Feathered Serpent,” Quetzalcoatl.

Lastly, the jersey features new fires, symbolizing the cycles of the cosmos. Covered from top to bottom with historical imagery, the jersey is tied together by Mexico’s red and white crest, which can be seen on the jersey’s left breast.

“An homage to Mexican culture — unmistakable the world over,” said adidas on its website, which is currently dedicating the site’s front page to the new away kit. “Viva Mexico. Wear your heart on your chest in the Mexico jersey, and train in soccer gear that shows your team pride.”

According to NBC Chicago, the 2022 jersey offers a stark contrast to Mexico’s 2021 counterpart, which boasted a “Rosa Mexicano” look styled with black and pink. Paired with 2022’s home kit, the two jerseys reflect the duality present in many of the symbols featured throughout.

Although it wasn’t released until July, the home kit was originally leaked in March 2022 after pictures from the photo shoot promoting the jerseys were caught on camera. Just a few months later, the away kit was leaked in July, according to World Soccer Talk and suspicions were confirmed when the jersey was made available to fans on August 29.

As of this week, the away kit jerseys are available for purchase on the adidas website, just two days before Mexico is set to debut the jersey on Wednesday during a game against Paraguay at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That face-off will be followed by a game against Peru at the Rose Bowl on September 24, and a Santa Clara game against Colombia on September 27.

Last but certainly not least, the jerseys will be featured in the group play against Poland on November 22, during the first week of the 2022 World Cup. On the adidas website, jerseys are going for $90 dollars while authentic jerseys are priced at $150.