Is Switzerland’s 'splattered brains' jersey the World Cup’s worst?

In fact, the online edition of German magazine Der Spiegel has ranked the Puma-produced jersey the worst of all the 32 teams set to appear in Russia over the coming weeks.

“Is that a topographical map of Switzerland? Are contour lines experiencing a fashion moment?” said the magazine of the jersey's swirling design – which, incidentally, is actually supposed to reflect Switzerland’s mountainous landscape.

“Who comes up with an idea like that?” Spiegel asked.

German football website 11Freunde also rated the Swiss home jersey as the worst at the World Cup.

The sports site began positively by noting that the red top at least had the distinction of not being as “boring” as the white Swiss away kit – part of a series of Puma away kits almost universally slated for their dullness. But the reviewers then put the boot into the Swiss home jersey by saying “better boring than hideous”.

The "boring" Swiss away kit for the 2018 World Cup.

But the harshest criticism of all comes from style bible GQ: “A novel approach here by the Swiss: blending the aesthetics of splattered brains and regurgitated spaghetti to ghastly effect,” the magazine wrote.

“As they did in the Second World War, this lot might have done better to stay neutral in terms of their shirt design,” GQ added.

It should be noted, however, that when it comes to the Swiss jersey at the 2018 World Cup, there is just one main consideration: there must be no repeat of the infamous incident during the Euro 2016 when Swiss jerseys were torn left, right and centre during Switzerland's group stage match against France.

Puma was forced to apologise after the debacle caused by a faulty batch of shirts while Swiss star forward Xherdan Shaqiri quipped: “I hope Puma doesn't make condoms.”

Meanwhile, Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden assured Swiss daily Blick recently the material for the new Swiss jerseys had been tested thoroughly and that the shirts were now "tear-proof".