The 3 oldest national team kit suppliers

The history of national teams is not only made up of world victories, great successes and inimitable talents, but also and above all of shirts that have changed history and logos that have become symbols of cultural eras in the collective imagination. In fact, every national team carries with it a unique aesthetic heritage and in every federation there are crests and brands that have gone down in history, which in the same way have written part of the successes and failures achieved on and off the field, in a rather significant way. 

In history, there are also national teams that have been inextricably linked to one kit supplier for so long that they are recognised by that particular brand. A factor that can often influence this choice is the territory itself, in many cases the national teams decide to tie themselves to indigenous brands, such as adidas and Germany, but this is not always the case, just think of the Italian national team tied to PUMA (German brand) for 18 years or the Netherlands sponsored by Nike since 1998.  We have selected the longest-lasting kit suppliers in the history of the national teams, long "love stories" that have not yet ended and probably never will. 

1. adidas - Germany

The relationship between the German national team and the three stripes is unlike any other, as adidas has been dressing Germany since 1954. Practically five years after its official registration, which took place on 18 August 1949, the company founded by the Dassler brothers had already acquired one of the teams that over time has helped to build the heritage and fame of adidas in football. adidas not only believed and invested immediately in this sponsorship, which has been going on for over 67 years, but has also produced kits and designs that have remained in history, such as the jerseys made in 1988 and 1994. Impossible to forget the green away jerseys produced in those years by the German company, jerseys remained iconic and partly imitated and reproposed even today that have marked the evolution of the football shirt as well as football item, with their crazy designs full of diamonds and abstract figures.

2. adidas - Spain

The second longest-lasting relationship in the history of national teams also involves adidas signing Spain in 1991. Beyond the recent acquisitions of the German brand, Germany and Spain will remain the most iconic and representative national teams of the brand. And even in the case of the Spanish national team, in 31 years of history, there have been jerseys that define iconic would be reductive. Patterns, designs and templates that have remained in history and are still considered unsurpassed, such as the three jerseys of the World Cup in USA 1994 or those of Euro 1996. Years when adidas, as with Germany, created these strange geometric shapes that obviously took up the colours of the flag.

3. Nike - USA

Just a few months before the end of 2021, the agreement between Nike and the USA was renewed for another 10 years. A perfect bond that the swoosh has no intention of breaking, also and above all for territorial reasons, but above all because in 2026 the World Cup will be played in America and Mexico and Nike cannot miss this great train. The agreement between US soccer and Nike has been going on since 1995 and even here it is impossible to forget some of the jerseys that have made the national team famous, making it forget the few sporting successes achieved so far. Now with the rapid expansion of football in the USA, the World Cup at home and the rise of great talent, Nike has the opportunity to create something unique that will remain in history as adidas did with Spain and Germany. Something unforgettable was the away jersey from the 1994 World Cup at home, where the swoosh brought back the stars and stripes on the jerseys to the delight of all fans.