Uruguay’s World Cup Kit Designer

Uruguay’s football association said on April 10 that Gabriela Hearst will design the national team’s tailored uniforms for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (auf.org.uy) The Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol said the uniforms will be made with Uruguayan merino wool, and President Ignacio Alonso said the choice highlights local agricultural producers as well as the team. (auf.org.uy) Hearst, who was born in Uruguay and raised on her family’s cattle and merino sheep ranch in Paysandú, called merino wool her “favorite fiber” in the announcement. (auf.org.uy) These are the formal, tailored uniforms Uruguay will use around the tournament, not the match jerseys worn during games. FIFA’s 2026 men’s World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico and the United States. (auf.org.uy) (fifa.com) Uruguay will arrive at that tournament as a qualified team. FIFA’s CONMEBOL table lists Uruguay fourth on 28 points after 18 matches, with the top six teams advancing directly. (fifa.com) Hearst has built her label around sustainability claims and long-lasting materials. Her company says the brand was founded in 2015 on “timelessness,” “quality” and sustainability, and says it has used compostable packaging since 2018. (gabrielahearst.com) The federation framed the project as a national showcase as much as a clothing commission. In the same statement, Alonso said pairing a globally known Uruguayan designer with Uruguayan merino wool would present the country’s craft and production standards to a worldwide audience. (auf.org.uy) That puts Uruguay’s World Cup wardrobe in two lanes at once: national-team protocol and luxury fashion branding. By June, the players will still compete in standard football kits, but they will travel and appear off the pitch in Hearst’s version of Uruguayan wool. (auf.org.uy)