‘Deadly’ — Canada’s Key Demand in 2026 World Cup Kits, Why This Is on the Collar

Canada’s kits will feature a “lucky loonie” on the inside of the collar.

Canada’s main looks for the 2026 World Cup. | Courtesy of Canada Soccer

The Canada men’s national team wanted to look “deadly” in their 2026 World Cup kits, after 2022’s surprise qualification left them wearing a basic Nike template.

Playing in their first World Cup since 1986, Canada was the only team among the 32 in Qatar without a special-edition World Cup kit. Instead, the team arrived with a plain trio of red, white and black.

Four years later, with the first men’s World Cup games set on home soil, they have a more inspired look. According to The Athletic, the players wanted to feel “deadly,” and with their red home strip and black away strip, they certainly will. 

High line. High pressure. No turning back.

Canada’s 2026 team jerseys are designed to go full tilt.

Available at 9 AM ET / 6 AM PT at https://t.co/7EuEsmuQVV pic.twitter.com/dBDuKObAHl

— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 16, 2026

Nike unveiled Canada Soccer’s jerseys on Monday, with the red primary kit featuring a two-tone maple leaf across the front and back, Canada’s national icon that also features prominently on the flag. 

It’s the black jersey, with white trim and subtle white maple leaves, that stands out. It gives the hardened and tough energy that the players imagined as they strive for a Cinderella run at the home World Cup tournament. It also follows a recent trend of Canada's national teams embracing a third color outside the flag, with hockey and curling donning similar looks. 

Stephen Eustáquio wears Canada's primary kit from the 2024 series. | Alex Nicodim/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Players first got involved in the 2026 designs two years ago, when they were in a one-game qualifying match for the 2024 Copa América against Jamaica. That match saw them debut their 2024 kit as well, which marked a step in the right direction and an identifiable look for Canada’s run to the semifinal and two clashes with Lionel Messi’s Argentina.  

There will also be a white-and-grey kit, which has been leaked online. It features a similar look to the two-tone red strip.

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What is the Lucky Loonie on Canada’s World Cup Kits?

The lucky loonie is on the inside of the collar on each of Canada’s jerseys. | Courtesy of Canada Soccer

Canada’s newest kits feature a uniquely Canadian twist. Not only has the squad embraced the maple leaf, but they’ve also got the lucky loonie. 

The loonie, Canada’s golden one-dollar coin featuring a loon, is inside the back of the collar and visible when the jersey hangs from the player’s locker room stall. The country’s motto: “From coast to coast to coast” is emblazoned around it. 

The Lucky Loonie first entered Canadian lore with men’s and women’s hockey gold medals at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics. | ROBERT SULLIVAN /AFP/Getty Images

While an iconic piece of Canadiana, the loonie is a throwback to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, when Canada won gold in men’s and women’s hockey for the first time. That run quickly became legend, after it was unveiled that a loonie had been planted at center ice. It later became known as the lucky loonie. 

While it may be difficult to hide the loonie on the field, it is the emblem’s spirit that the players will want to channel towards their dreams of winning a first World Cup game.

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