Spare a thought for all the Croatian full kit w****** out there.
No, that’s not us being salty after Wednesday’s semi-final defeat. We genuinely feel for anyone who splashed out on Croatia’s complete home kit.
Why? Because Croatia will go through an entire World Cup campaign without wearing their first-choice strip.
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Croatia’s iconic combination of red and white chequered shirt, white shorts and blue socks is one of the most elegant home strips in international football.
It was worn once during Croatia’s first World Cup campaign, when Davor Suker and co finished third in France ’98.
Jamaica- whose yellow, green and black strip ensured very few kit clashes occurred- were on the receiving end of a sartorially elegant 3-1 defeat.
But 20 years later, as Croatia reach heights never before scaled, they’ll do so without taking to the pitch in red, white and blue.
In the first game of the tournament Croatia were forced into wearing white socks against Nigeria, for reasons still not particularly clear.
For the other two group games Croatia turned out in their navy away strip.
In the round of 16 Croatia beat Denmark on penalties wearing their navy away kit, but with red socks.
Four games, three different strips.
It was back to all-navy for the quarter-final against Russia before switching to red socks again in the win against… nope, we’ve completely forgotten who the opposition was.
FIFA have released details of the kits to be worn for the World Cup final and, due to France wearing all-blue, Croatia will wear their home strip with white socks.
Of course, there’s always time for a John Terry-esque change at full-time if Croatia win.
But, as things stand, Croatia’s full kit w****** better have kept their receipts.