The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is remembered by many as one of the most iconic international tournaments. The tournament was the first and to date the only World Cup held in the continent of Africa and it certainly did not disappoint. From the deafening sound of the vuvuzelas to the unpredictability dip and swerve of the Jabulani ball that only a number of players mastered, South Africa brought incredible entertainment to the world stage.
2010 FIFA World Cup: Top Five Jerseys
Many football fans seem to forget that the 2010 World Cup also displayed some beautiful jerseys. In this article we are going to look back at five of the greatest football shirts from the competition.
5. Slovenia Away
This was Slovenia’s third appearance at a major tournament, previously qualifying for Euro 2000 as well as the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Despite their experience the nation had never won a match at an international tournament.
Slovenia would break that duck in South Africa, as a goal from national icon Robert Koren was enough to see his side beat Algeria 1-0. The Slovenians positive start to the tournament quickly diminished after a damaging 3-2 loss to the United States of America was followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to England. Slovenia finished third and had to pack their bags.
2010 saw the start of Slovenia using a unique design on their jersey, which they continue to use to this day. Manufactured by Nike, the Slovenia jersey introduced a zigzag/jagged design on the chest of the strip. This design represents the famous Triglav mountain, which is the highest in Slovenia.
This graphic was used on the home and away strips, but the away had been favoured on our list due to the use of a dark and light green colourway, which gave the jersey a unique look. Slovenia have included the Triglav design on all of their jerseys since.
4. South Africa Home
Sometimes it is simply an amazing moment that can make a football jersey so beautiful and that is most definitely the case for the South Africa home shirt. Being the first African country to host a world cup, South Africa made sure to leave a mark on the tournament. In the opening match of the competition, Bafana Bafana hosted Mexico. The Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg was electric and when Siphiwe Tshabalala found the back of the Mexico net on the 55th minute with a rocket, it was euphoric for South African fans. One of the greatest memories of the tournament has to be Tshabalala and his teammates dancing at the corner flag after the historic goal.
Iconic moments such as Tshabalala’s goal is the reason South Africa’s iconic home jersey is remembered fondly. The shirt itself was manufactured by Adidas and was primarily yellow with green applications on the sleeves, collar and throughout the jersey. The Adidas logo being centralised with the South Africa badge and the nations federation symbol placed on each side gave the jersey a aesthetically pleasing balance.
3. Germany Away
Germany and stunning World Cup jerseys is a tale as old as time and in 2010 this was no different. The Germans away jersey in South Africa was a beauty and a shirt that many football fans around the world would regard as one of their favourites. Die Mannschaft started the tournament in Group D with Ghana, Australia and Serbia. With the likes of Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil and Miroslav Klose running the show for the Germans.
Highlights of their tournament would be trashing England and Argentina 4-1 and 4-0 in dominating performances. A narrow defeat to Spain in the semi-finals meant Germany faced Uruguay in the third-place play-off fixture, which Joachim Löw’s side won 3-2 to claim a bronze medal.
Germany’s 2010 World Cup away jersey was only the second time in the nation’s history that their secondary strip was black, with the first being six years prior at Euro 2004. Adidas used red and gold applications on the collar and sleeves of the jersey to give it a striking look. German fans and football shirt collectors admire this shirt highly even 14 years on. How could anyone forget Özil’s stunning half-volley against Ghana while donning this jersey.
2. Spain Away
Another Adidas jersey joins the list as the Spain away strip is second in our rankings. The 2010 FIFA World Cup was incredibly special for Spain. A side at the peak of their powers with a brilliant possession based style of play managing to win their first ever World Cup. A cast full of stars such as Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Villa all played vital roles in helping La Roja lift sports’ most sought after trophy.
Adidas kept it simple but added some great touches to the Spanish away jersey to make it number two. The Spanish national team have previously used navy as a secondary shirt colour in the 90’s and early 2000’s. A navy base was used by Adidas which was complemented beautifully by the yellow and red applications on the sleeves, shoulders and collar of the strip. The iconic three stripes of Adidas stood out beautifully with the use of the yellow and red colourway. Adidas opted to centralise their logo, as they did with the South African and German jerseys. This truly allowed us to appreciate the stunning Spanish badge even more.
Spain also wore their navy away shirt in the World Cup final match against the Netherlands. La Roja won 1-0 thanks to a late extra-time strike from Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta, meaning the next shirt Spain would wear would have an iconic star above the badge, signifying their World Cup winning status.
1. Ghana Away
Adidas have dominated this list, however it is Puma who take top spot with their iconic Ghana away jersey from the tournament. The African nation was many fans’ second team as they played some of the most entertaining football in the competition.
Asamoah Gyan, Sully Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng and their teammates helped create some of the fondest memories at the tournament. Ghana beat Serbia and drew with Australia to see themselves finish 2nd in Group D behind Germany. A narrow 2-1 victory against the United States followed in the round of 16 meaning the Ghanaians faced Uruguay in what was arguably one of the greatest ever World Cup games.
Ghana needed to beat Uruguay to become the first ever African side to reach the semi-final stage of a World Cup. With the game level at 2-2 in the last seconds of extra-time, a Luis Suárez handball clearance off the line meant Ghana had a penalty in the last kick of the match. Unfortunately their talisman Gyan hit his shot over the bar and Ghana went on to lose the game on a penalty shootout.
Puma manufactured Ghana’s away jersey. Vertical red and yellow stripes gave the shirt a unique look and certainly stood out on the pitch. Puma centralised their as well as included it on the shoulders of the shirt. Ghana also included four stars below their badge, representing each time they have won the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was home to some of the greatest moments and jerseys in international football. What jersey was your favourite from the tournament? Comment below.
