The new shirts of the Red Devils and the Red Flames were presented at the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve on Thursday.
The choice of location was not random: the away shirt is a reference to his most famous comic character, Tintin.
The Red Devils away kit pays tribute to the Belgian cartoonist Hergé and the cartoon character for which he is best known: Tintin. Matching the clothing in which the character was most frequently seen, the kit has a blue shirt with a characteristic white collar, brown shorts and white socks.
"As a big Tintin fan, I think it is great that our Red Devils will conquer Europe in a shirt based on one of the greatest Belgian heroes," said CEO of Royal Belgian Football Association Piet Vandendriessche. "It is fantastic to pay tribute to a real-world icon: Hergé."
"He not only conquered my heart and my mind when I was growing up, but also those of many other generations," he said. "And that is exactly what the Red Devils – but also the Red Flames – are trying to achieve. Hopefully, Tintin will inspire them to achieve great performances, starting this summer in Germany."
This is the third Belgian away kit in recent history that pays tribute to something or someone with Belgian roots, and is recognised and celebrated all over the world.
The UEFA EURO 2016 away kit was a playful tribute to the Belgian cycling heritage, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup away shirt and accompanying lifestyle collection were inspired by Tomorrowland's famous fireworks, bridging the worlds of sport, music and entertainment.
The RBFA also presented a new home kit in a stylish, dark red colour, striking gold details and a fashionable graphic pattern incorporated into the kit.
A model showing the Tintin-themed away kit is surrounded by characters from the comic book series. Credit: Belga / Bruno Fahy
The home and away shirts share the same graphic pattern, which is embossed into the shirt, making them look different when the light shines on them.
The pattern of the home shirt features the crown of the RBFA coat of arms repeatedly, with 1895 in gold as a design detail on the neck of the shirt. The reverse was done for the away shirt, with 1895 on the shirt and a gold crown on the neck.
From Saturday 23 March, the home kit will be worn by all Belgian national teams for the first time when the Red Devils take on Ireland. The away kit can be seen for the first time during the Red Devils' friendly match against England on Tuesday 26 March.
Both kits will also be worn by the Red Devils during UEFA EURO 2024, with a new collection of training and travel clothing and clothing for the technical staff. Black/gold shorts, red/gold socks and gold player printing complete the home kit.
The away kit comes with brown/white trousers, white/gold socks and white player print, as well as alternative white/gold trousers and brown/white socks.
