Adidas designed these World Cup jerseys for elite athletes—and clever art buffs

Adidas released the Belgium national football team's away jersey for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on March 20, 2024, featuring a design inspired by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte. The blue and pink patterned jersey directly references Magritte's iconic work, "The Treachery of Images," which famously depicted a pipe with the caption "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe"). The jersey itself features a similar inscription on its neck, reading "Ceci n'est pas un maillot" ("This is not a jersey"). This marks the fourth consecutive tournament where Belgium has honored national heritage through its away jersey, following designs inspired by cycling culture in 2016, the Tomorrowland music festival in 2022, and the cartoon character Tintin in 2024. Authentic versions of the Magritte-inspired jersey are available for purchase at Adidas for $150. Magritte's artistic style, characterized by blending realistic scenes with unexpected elements and defying conventional physics, is reflected in the jersey's aesthetic, particularly his recurring motifs of the afternoon and evening sky.