adidas reissues the Sweden 1994 home shirt

adidas has released a reissue of the yellow home shirt Sweden wore at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The shirt goes back on sale thirty-two years after Sweden used it to finish third in one of the most successful World Cup campaigns in the country's history.

USA '94

Sweden arrived in the United States as a side that had qualified convincingly but were not considered contenders for the tournament. What followed over the course of four weeks surprised most observers.

They came through Group B, beat Saudi Arabia and Romania in the knockout rounds, and then faced Brazil in the semi-final. They lost 1-0 to a team that would go on to win the tournament. In the third-place match they beat Bulgaria 4-0, a result that put an emphatic stamp on the tournament. Thomas Brolin scored twice. Kennet Andersson and Martin Dahlin were among the goals throughout the competition. It was the last time Sweden would reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

The reissue

The design is built on the bright yellow that has defined Swedish football kits across generations. A tonal jacquard pattern runs across the front, sleeves and back, incorporating repeated crest detailing and diagonal graphic elements that give the fabric the textured finish associated with early 1990s adidas production. Large royal blue graphic blocks sit on the lower side panels, extending upward from the hem.

The collar is a blue wrapover style, finished with narrow yellow and red trim. Blue adidas branding sits centrally below the neckline, with the Swedish crest in matching colours beneath it. The fit is regular, staying close to the proportions of the 1994 original.

The original in the catalogue

The original 1994 home shirt is in the ShirtSociety catalogue. Finding an authentic example in clean condition is increasingly difficult: the shirt was a popular colour in a tournament that attracted large audiences, and worn copies are far more common than unworn originals.