Reigning champions Argentina are set to defend their World Cup crown next summer – and they’ll do so in a kit that pays tribute to their glorious past.

Leaked by Footy Headlines and Opaleak, the reported 2026 Argentina home shirt introduces a bold new take on the Albiceleste’s iconic look.

The kit nods to Argentina’s World Cup-winning history – 1978, 1986, and 2022 – by weaving those eras into a modern redesign of the traditional stripes.

Sky blue and white remain at the core, but this time each blue stripe features a two-tone gradient fade, shifting from light to dark for added depth. Navy accents appear on the shoulders and sleeve cuffs, giving the shirt sharper contrast and a cleaner finish.

The kit will also reportedly feature three stars above the Argentina crest, one for each of their previous World Cup wins.

Mockups of the shirt have prominently featured Lionel Messi, the hero of Qatar 2022 and the nation’s greatest-ever player. But whether he’ll wear the jersey in an actual World Cup match remains to be seen.

“I think about it and wait and see, but I don’t want to set that goal either,” Messi said recently about his potential participation next year. “I’ll take it day by day and see how I feel physically above all else, and be honest with myself too.”

For fans – and for football – the hope is that one final World Cup chapter remains in the Messi story.