Italian football legend Alessandro Del Piero has hastily removed a social media post after accidentally revealing kits for the upcoming World Cup. The tournament is set to kick off in the USA in just over eight months.
Preparations are in full swing, with several countries already having secured their spots. The joint hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA have been automatically included. They will be joined by numerous other nations, although no European country has confirmed their qualification yet. Despite this, teams are already preparing potential kits, with Adidas creating designs for a number of high-profile countries.
This became glaringly obvious when Italy’s Del Piero posted a photo of mannequins sporting potential designs. The home kits for Japan, Spain, Colombia, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Belgium and Argentina were among those revealed.
All of their away kits were also displayed – though there is a slight difference, with Adidas’ classic trefoil logo adorning the change strips instead of their modern icon. Notably absent was England’s kit, but that’s because Nike is supplying the Three Lions’ kit.
Del Piero quickly took down his post. These leaks come as England manager Thomas Tuchel calls on World Cup organisers to reconsider kick-off times due to weather conditions.
Speaking in a press conference, the German said: “I know the fans will not like it but for us it’s better if we play later, of course. For everyone it’s better to play later. If you do a run at 2 p.m. in Charlotte then you know.”
He added: “Midnight here, I understand that it’s bad for our fans. I understand it, it’s bad for the children, bad for the young people who go to school, very bad. There will be a lot of drop-outs the next day at school, I guess!”
“Well, then straightaway everyone will make the point the others also play in the heat … it would be a disadvantage for us, for sure. Would we adapt to it, if we have to? Yes. Would we use it as an excuse? No. Would we still prefer to play in the evening, when shade is on the pitch? Yes, for sure.
“It’s just proven, you see more intensive runs, you see more high-intensity runs, you see more recovery runs, you see a more intense game. [Earlier] it becomes slower, and less quality.”