World Cup uniforms: A closer look at Group H's kits

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup now getting underway we've been taking a group-by-group look at what each of the uniforms the 32 participating nations will wear and how they compare to their kits of World Cups past.

We've already looked at the uniforms of every other group: Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Here we finally wrap things up by going through each of the clubs in Group H: Algeria, Belgium, Russia, and South Korea.

ALGERIA

Local name: Dzayer
Flag: Two equal vertical bars, one green and one in white, with a red crescent and star. White represents peace, green represents nature, and the red in the crescent for the blood of those fighting for Algeria. The star and crescent represent Islam.
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 4th (1982-86, 2010-14)

Algeria is going with a very basic uniform design for both their primary and secondary jerseys. The primary is white with light green accents around the collar and sleeves with the national football federation logo and a general "Algeria" graphic surrounding the Puma symbol on the chest.

The secondary is a straight flip of the primary, light green body with white collar and cuffs. Both jerseys will have shorts in the same color as the jersey.

Algeria has gone green and white in each of their four World Cup appearances. In the 1986 tournament in Mexico they went a little astray from this by wearing an all red secondary uniform without any green whatsoever.

BELGIUM

Local name: België
Flag: Vertical bands of black, yellow, and red. Taken from the coat of the Duchy of Brabant, a former Roman state which occupied modern day Belgium
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 12th (1930-38, 1954, 1970, 1982-2002, 2014)

Belgium is the only nation in the 2014 World Cup tournament to have their uniforms created, and sponsored by Burrda Sports. They are one of only 5 teams not to have a deal with one of the big three of Nike, adidas, or Puma.

Their primary kit is red with three stripes across the chest - red, black, and yellow like the Belgian flag. Next to these three horizontal bands is the national football association crest. Sublimated into the bottom corner of the jersey is a crown graphic found on the national crest. The collar and cuffs are all tri-colored like the flag. This jersey will be worn with matching red shorts.

Secondary kit is black with a diagonal sash in the three national colors, the national badge in the corner. There's also a third jersey as part of this set, it is a straight copy as the primary kit except it's yellow instead of red. Both the secondary and thirds will be worn with black shorts.

Belgium hasn't qualified since 2002 before this year, back then when they were partnered with Nike they still wore red primaries and black secondaries. Their most bold design was perhaps from 1982 when they wore a red jersey with two yellow arches featuring tiny black crowns throughout.

RUSSIA

Local name: Rossiya
Flag: Three horizontal stripes, white, blue, and red. Originally modelled after the Dutch flag when first created in the 17th century.
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 10th (1958-70, 1982-94, 2002, 2014)

The uniforms Russia will be wearing in 2014 are (almost literally) out of this world.

First they'll be sporting a burgundy primary jersey with gold trim, designed by adidas (three stripes on each shoulder... again). A Russian flag is placed at the end of the adidas stripes on either sleeve. Sublimated into the body of the jersey is a photo of the Kosmonauts Museum in Moscow, along the back collar is the phrase "пoеxали" which is Russian for "Let's Go!" - the last words spoken by Yuri Gagarin before he became the first man shot into space in 1961.

The space theme continues on the secondary jersey, the body of which is based off of the view of the earth as seen from space. You can see the round surface of the planet near the top of the jersey with the dark blue of space above it... brilliant. Also, yup, adidas stripes on the shoulder of this one too. Space pioneers get equal billing with adidas here.

Russia is back after missing the last two World Cups and they're doing so by wearing red for the first time since 1990 back in the days of the USSR. The Russians had worn blue, primarily, since the fall of the Soviet Union. 

SOUTH KOREA

Local name: Daehan Minguk
Flag: Known as the "Taegukgi". A red and blue yin-and-yang symbol with four trigrams surrounding it. The trigrams represent the principle of movement and energy
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 9th (1954, 1986-2014)

Nike's designs for South Korea are very much like the standard design the Koreans have been wearing outside World Cup play, one of the few teams to get this treatment. They'll be wearing red jerseys as their primary kit, blue stripes looping around under each arm over across the shoulders. Inside the collar is a calligraphic symbol representing a "fighting spirit".

The secondary kit is similar to the primary except it is white. Around each sleeve are the same loops except one is red and the other blue - carrying over the yin-and-yang blue-and-red design from the national flag. Korea will wear blue shorts with their primary reds, they'll be wearing white with the secondary whites.

South Korea has gone red primary, white secondary for six of their last seven appearances. They've gone fairly simple with all of their uniforms with the exception of 1994 (which really seemed like the year for experimentin' in FIFA).

That's it folks, we're all done! Hope you enjoyed this trip through the fashions of 32 different nations. All that's left now is for the actual games to be played. Here's to a great month!