The Great Argentina Jersey Showdown: 2024 vs. 2022
Man, I swear I spend too much time thinking about things that don’t matter, but look, if you’re gonna drop serious cash on a piece of fabric, you better know exactly what you’re buying. I already owned the iconic 2022 Argentina home kit—the one with the gold World Cup badge, obviously. But then the new 2024 Copa América kit started popping up everywhere, and my brain started running wild. Is it better? Is it just a tiny tweak? Do I really need another blue and white striped shirt?
I wasn’t going to trust some online reviewer who just showed a static photo. I needed to get my hands dirty. My practice log for this week wasn’t code; it was cotton, or polyester, whatever the heck they use now. My mission was simple: I was going to buy both official versions, side-by-side, wear them, wash them, stretch them, and then figure out which one was the true champion.
I logged into the official store and just bit the bullet. I ordered the 2022 jersey (fan version, because I prefer the looser fit) and the brand new 2024 jersey (also fan version, tagged ‘AeroReady’). Two boxes, two completely unnecessary purchases, all for science. They arrived within three days. My bank account wept, but my collector heart was thrilled.
The Unboxing and Initial Feel
First thing I did was rip open the 2022 box. It’s familiar, right? This specific run has been out for ages. I pulled it out of the bag. The material felt substantial, a good weight. The stripes were crisp. The gold World Champions badge felt perfectly applied. I slipped it on. Fit: classic roomy fan jersey. It felt like something you could spill beer on and not worry about. Comfortable, standard issue, a solid shirt built to celebrate the biggest win ever.
Then I moved to the 2024 box. I sliced through the tape and immediately noticed the difference in presentation. The plastic bag felt cheaper, crinklier. I unfurled the shirt. The first thing that hit me was the collar. They had ditched the round neck for something that looked like a subtle V-neck hybrid, slightly ribbed. Okay, a style change. Interesting. I ran my hand over the material. This is where things got weird.
The 2024 ‘AeroReady’ fabric felt noticeably thinner, almost slicker, than the 2022 version. It felt less like a durable fan kit and more like a lighter, slightly cheaper imitation of the player version. I wasn’t thrilled. I held both shirts up to the window light. Yep, the 2024 version let more light through.
The Detail Dive: Stitching and Crests
This is where the real comparison practice began. I grabbed my phone for the macro shots and a tape measure. I needed hard data, not just feelings.
- The Crest: The 2022 had the gold badge nestled perfectly above the standard AFA crest. The stitching was thick and secure. The 2024 crest was clean, sure, but they had changed the color palette subtly, making the gold detailing less bright. They focused heavily on the single star above the badge (representing the World Cup win) but removed the full World Champion patch. It looked emptier, honestly.
- The Stripes: On the 2022, the blue stripes were a rich, deep royal blue. On the 2024, they were slightly muted, a touch lighter. I measured the width of the central white stripe on both. They were exactly the same, 5cm across. No change there, just a color tweak that made the new one feel less punchy.
- The Fit Nightmare: This was the biggest practical fail. I tried on the 2024 Medium. It was significantly smaller than the 2022 Medium. It was tighter across the chest and shorter in the torso. I’m a pretty standard size, so this inconsistency drove me mad. If you wear a Medium 2022 fan jersey, you need a Large in the 2024 fan jersey. Zero standardization. I almost ripped the seams trying to get it off.
- The Collar Finish: The 2022 collar was simple and durable. The 2024’s ribbed V-neck felt flimsy. I pulled on the collar edge lightly on both. The 2022 snapped back immediately. The 2024 stretched slightly and held the deformation for a second before recovering. Not a good sign for long-term wear.
The Washing Test and Final Verdict
I know, I know, you’re supposed to baby these things, but I needed to see how they handled real life. I threw them both into a gentle cold wash cycle and hung them up to dry. They both survived, obviously, but the 2024 jersey, due to its lighter fabric, came out wrinkled far more aggressively than the 2022 one, requiring careful flattening.
After all that measuring, feeling, stretching, and washing, the choice became crystal clear, but maybe not for the reason the manufacturer hoped. The 2024 kit is perfectly fine, but it felt like a retreat. It felt like they scaled back the material quality just a tiny bit, and the sizing issue is a massive headache for anyone buying sight unseen.
The 2022 jersey, with its slightly heavier fabric, the perfect roomy fan fit, and the glorious, bragging gold World Cup badge, just absolutely dominates. It’s a moment in history captured in cloth. The 2024 is just another shirt. I decided to keep the 2022 as my primary wear and immediately initiated the return process for the 2024 version. Don’t fall for the update hype. If you haven’t got the 2022 version yet, grab that one before they phase out the World Champion edition. It’s the superior practice, trust me.