Why do some World Cup shirts keep tearing during matches?

Why do some World Cup shirts keep tearing during matches?ByDaniel AustinBBC Sport senior journalistPublished22 June 2026, 17:51 BSTUpdated 4 minutes agoLate goals. Red cards. Long balls. TV ads in water breaks.The 2026 World Cup so far has been defined by an upswing in various metrics which are all changing the game, for better or worse.But a far more peculiar trend is on the increase too - torn shirts.Since the tournament began, four players have had their jerseys ripped in one circumstance or another, in three cases requiring them to go off the field and change into a replacement.In all four cases, the shirts have been manufactured by Puma.So what exactly has been happening, and what is behind the problem?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The shirt of Morocco midfielder Neil el Aynaoui was torn during their match against ScotlandWhich shirts have torn and what happened to cause it?Beginning on the opening night, four different countries - all with kits produced by Puma - have had to source a replacement shirt for a player during a match.South Korea v Czech Republic - A large hole was torn in midfielder Pavel Sulc's shirt in several places when he was pulled back by a South Korea defender during play after 25 minutes.USA v Paraguay - Defender Gustavo Gomez's shirt was ripped down the side after he grappled with USA striker Folarin Balogun after just eight minutes. He carried on after stuffing the torn section into his shorts before changing later.Belgium v Egypt - Winger Mustafa Zico's shirt ripped in a horizontal line across the centre when he was pulled down by defender Maxim de Cuyper.Scotland v Morocco - While waiting for a corner to be delivered in the early stages of the second half, midfielder Neil el Aynaoui's shirt was ripped across the centre when held by centre-back Jack Hendry. El Aynaoui showed the rip to the referee while trying to claim he should be awarded a penalty.In all four cases, the tears happened when players were b...