{"id":176657,"date":"2024-04-29T17:55:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T17:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/04\/29\/the-25-best-retro-football-shirts-of-all-time-ranked\/"},"modified":"2024-04-29T17:55:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T17:55:01","slug":"the-25-best-retro-football-shirts-of-all-time-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2024\/04\/29\/the-25-best-retro-football-shirts-of-all-time-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"The 25 best retro football shirts of all time \u2013 ranked \u2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Retro football shirts have never been more popular than they are today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While there are some eye-wateringly beautiful modern kits, there is something about that vintage look that just hits different. The baggy fit, the wonderfully garish designs and the nostalgia they bring, retro shirts simply can\u2019t be beaten for most football fans.<\/p>\n

There have been some absolute corkers over the years at both club and, in particular, international level and while football fashion often divides opinion, many old-school kits are unanimously loved.<\/p>\n

For the sake of these rankings, we are classing retro shirts as anything made pre-2010 and there are plenty of sensational bangers to choose from.<\/p>\n

Here are the 25 greatest retro shirts of all time \u2013 ranked.<\/p>\n

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25.\u00a0Real Madrid 1999\/01 Away<\/h2>\n
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Real Madrid 1999 Away by Adidas \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8<\/p>\n

Stunning black away shirt worn when Los Blancos beat Valencia in the 2000 Champions League Final!<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd24\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/8785aC4SEW<\/a>\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts)\u00a0March 11, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite being the biggest club in world football,\u00a0Real Madrid\u00a0actually don\u2019t have too many stunning kits. Their home jerseys are often remarkably plain, with the more modern shirts more than a little dull.<\/p>\n

But the early adidas years were pretty spectacular, as exemplified by the 1999\/01 away shirt. A clean black look with some striking orange, a neat collar and a sexy sponsor, this screams class.<\/p>\n

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24.\u00a0France 1996\/98 Away<\/h2>\n
\"Sabri<\/figure>\n

adidas never used to miss \/ Stewart Kendall\/Allstar\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

France have had some belters over the years and their 1990s jerseys were a sight to behold. While their 1994 home jersey almost made the cut, this 1996\/98 away number is about as good as adidas templates come.<\/p>\n

The insanely eye-catching three stripes over the shoulders in the red and blue of the French flag and the spell-out manufacturer logo, this is a stunner. That collar is pretty sweet, too.<\/p>\n

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23.\u00a0Newcastle United 1997\/98 Away<\/h2>\n
\"Portrait<\/figure>\n

Alan Shearer donning Newcastle\u2019s beautiful away shirt \/ Phil Cole\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

This is a shirt that has aged pretty well. It\u2019s unlikely to have been flying off the shelves in the 1990s given its colour scheme and off-centre \u2018Newcastle Brown Ale\u2019 sponsor, but nowadays it sets supporters back a small fortune.<\/p>\n

Whoever came up with this navy, green and orange jersey may have got some funny looks at the time, but they have produced a kit that is now truly iconic for Toon supporters.<\/p>\n

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22.\u00a0Manchester City 1997\/98 Away<\/h2>\n
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Man City 1997 Away by Kappa \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

This beauty will be hitting the site very soon! \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/3pmx5fq2pl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) January 10, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kappa were the kings of the 1990s and Manchester City were fortunate enough to partner with them for a number of years. Pretty much all the shirts they made for the Sky Blues were gorgeous, but the 1997\/98 away jersey may be the best of a brilliant bunch.<\/p>\n

The old \u2018Brother\u2019 sponsor is pretty special and is highlighted by a beautiful horizontal burgundy stripe, with the Kappa taping across the shoulders and sleeves a work of art.<\/p>\n

21. Paris Saint-Germain 2006\/07 Away<\/p>\n

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Mbappe in the PSG 2006 Away \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 pic.twitter.com\/YEcM1CcQIP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) December 8, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite having no official connection with the brand, the PSG 2006\/07 away shirt is affectionately known as the \u2018Louis Vuitton shirt\u2019 for its subliminal pattern.<\/p>\n

PSG are basically one enormous fashion brand these days, with this wonderful deep brown jersey a truly unique offering that paved the way for the French side\u2019s modern classics.<\/p>\n

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20.\u00a0Bayern Munich 1993\/95 Away<\/h2>\n
\"United<\/figure>\n

That Opel sponsor was synonymous with Bayern\u2019s greats \/ Simon Bruty\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Another 1990s shirt, another adidas banger.<\/p>\n

Bayern Munich\u00a0were one of the many beneficiaries of adidas\u2019 golden era of shirt production, with this particular template employed effectively by the Bundesliga giants.<\/p>\n

There is no other Bayern shirt quite like this one, with the yellow, black and green bouncing off each other beautifully.<\/p>\n

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19.\u00a0Chelsea 1983\/85 Home<\/h2>\n
\"Gordon<\/figure>\n

An ultra classy Chelsea shirt \/ Getty Images\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

The oldest kit in this list, the 1980s was when football shirts started to look like more than just a plain t-shirt with a number hand-stitched into the back.<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s 1983\/85 home shirt is a great example of an early classic, with some beautiful horizontal striping with some lovely touches of red. Le Coq Sportif sure used to know how to make excellent kits.<\/p>\n

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18.\u00a0Mexico 1998 Home<\/h2>\n
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Mexico’s 1998 World Cup home shirt is one of the greatest international shirts of all-time.<\/p>\n

This design was worn in their opening game against South Korea and in the second round against Germany. The shirt was also worn in the other group stage matches by goalkeeper Campos.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd pic.twitter.com\/PEmIxYtsw8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) January 25, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kits don\u2019t get much bolder than Mexico\u2019s Aztec-inspired 1998 World Cup number, a shirt that is genuinely painful to stare at for too long.<\/p>\n

It is widely regarded as an all-time classic despite often dividing opinion, but fans might not see another kit like it ever again.<\/p>\n

17. Brazil 1994\/97 Home
Rivaldo
The iconic yellow and green has never looked so good \/ Clive Brunskill\/GettyImages
Just in case the legendary yellow and green wasn\u2019t enough to tell this was indeed a Brazil shirt, Umbro decided to stick four enormous Brazil badges on the front of the jersey.<\/p>\n

Somewhat surprisingly, it actually works, elevating the legendary colour scheme of the South American giants.<\/p>\n

16. PSV 1995\/96 Away<\/p>\n

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PSV 1995 Away by Nike \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 pic.twitter.com\/UKfxROzTlU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) April 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While adidas were the darlings of the 1990s, Nike also made some corkers. This PSV Eindhoven away shirt is one of said corkers, with a delightful purple and black colour scheme and a larger than life collar that has a checkerboard pattern on it.<\/p>\n

That \u2018Philips\u2019 sponsor is needlessly large and unnecessarily high up, but it just works, especially with the vertical stripes underneath it.<\/p>\n

15. Nigeria 1996\/98 Home
EQUIPE NIGERIA
Nigeria never fail to deliver when it comes to kits \/ STAFF\/GettyImages
Similarly to the aforementioned Brazil jersey, Nigeria wanted this kit to make the team it represented obvious. If the badge wasn\u2019t enough, they decided to simply write Nigeria in massive writing across the upper abdomen.<\/p>\n

Nigeria shirts always pop and this retro Nike banger is no different, with a sensational collar and wonderful balance of green and white.<\/p>\n

14. Milan 1992\/93 Home
Franco Baresi, Roberto Baggio
Two amazing shirts \u2013 but Milan\u2019s wins the battle \/ Alessandro Sabattini\/GettyImages
adidas seriously need to bring back the famous trefoil. Look at it on this 1992\/93 Milan home shirt and argue it doesn\u2019t instantly make it a classic.<\/p>\n

The famous red and black stripes of Milan seldom look anything less than gorgeous, with the old school badge and \u2018Motta\u2019 sponsor adding to this shirt\u2019s beauty.<\/p>\n

13. Borussia Dortmund 1993\/94 Home
Stefan Reuter of Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund\u2019s \u2018highlighter\u2019 kits were something else \/ Clive Brunskill\/GettyImages
Borussia Dortmund\u2019s \u2018highlighter\u2019 kits of the 1990s were something else and any of them would be worthy of a place in this list. However, the pattern across the neck and sleeves on the 1993\/94 home jersey is just astonishing.<\/p>\n

That sponsor is frighteningly large and the old spell-out Nike logo is just *chef\u2019s kiss*.<\/p>\n

12. Manchester United 1990\/92 Away
Mark Hughes, Des Walker
One of many Man Utd gems from the 90s \/ Simon Bruty\/GettyImages
Known as the \u2018snowflake\u2019 shirt, this is undoubtedly Man Utd\u2019s greatest shirt of the 1990s adidas era. It\u2019s just a stunner, even being replicated during the 2021\/22 season due to its popularity among supporters.<\/p>\n

The clash between the red and the blue is just perfect, while that \u2018Sharp\u2019 sponsor can\u2019t be beaten.<\/p>\n

11. Inter 1991\/92 Home
Dino Baggio
The famous black and blue of Inter is beautiful \/ Alessandro Sabattini\/GettyImages
Inter don\u2019t do bad kits. They are one of the few sides to still produce classics year after year, even in the modern era.<\/p>\n

But their 1990s stuff was on another level, with this 1991\/92 home shirt the best out there. It looks even better in long sleeves, with the gold of the badge and manufacturer logo just popping on that famous black and blue backdrop.<\/p>\n

10. Porto 1997\/98 Away<\/p>\n

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FC Porto 1997-98 away shirt made by Kappa as worn when the side won their fourth Liga title in a row#FCPorto<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7jUJWk5LSY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) October 22, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Who doesn\u2019t want a shirt with a dragon on it, eh?<\/p>\n

Porto and Kappa were a match made in heaven during the late 1990s and it\u2019s a shame that the two didn\u2019t work together more often. If this striking orange 1997\/98 away jersey is anything to go by, they would have created some memorable numbers.<\/p>\n

9. Fiorentina 1992\/93 Home<\/p>\n

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Fiorentina 1992 Player Issue Home by Lotto<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd64 pic.twitter.com\/aN2lGFCYzU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) January 5, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The iconic purple of Fiorentina is tough to beat, especially when adding a ludicrously large \u20187up\u2019 sponsor to it. The Italian side also famously wore \u2018Nintendo\u2019 sponsored shirts in the 1990s, but the design of this Lotto kit is unmatched.<\/p>\n

The light pattern just pops on a classy shirt, with the thick white collar standing out in particular.<\/p>\n

8. Liverpool 1991\/92 Home
John Barnes
This adidas template is a thing of beauty \/ Dan Smith\/GettyImages
1990s adidas shirts are generally winners, but come on, just look at this 1991\/92 Liverpool home shirt modelled by the great John Barnes.<\/p>\n

That \u2018Candy\u2019 sponsor is ridiculously clean and that retro Liverpool crest is simply beautiful. adidas need to revive their bold use of the three stripes.<\/p>\n

7. Ajax 1989\/90 Away<\/p>\n

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Ajax 1989-90 away by Umbro \ud83d\udd35\u26aa\ud83d\udd34<\/p>\n

Ajax’s best away kit? pic.twitter.com\/gAwf6jO5QT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vintage Football Shirts (@VFshirts) December 16, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

adidas shirts get plenty of coverage, but Umbro were also true heavyweights of the 1980s and 1990s. It\u2019s difficult to make a bad Ajax jersey, as has been proved recently, but this 1989\/90 shirt is different gravy.<\/p>\n

The seemingly random geometric pattern is simply hypnotic, while the retro Ajax crest is beyond beautiful.<\/p>\n

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6.\u00a0England 1992\/93 Third<\/h2>\n
\"David<\/figure>\n

A truly iconic Three Lions jersey \/ Shaun Botterill\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

England were feeling particularly patriotic when they designed their 1992\/93 third shirt alongside Umbro, sticking three enormous lions across the chest.<\/p>\n

Mixed with a pale blue base, it looks sensational and it\u2019s another holy grail piece for collectors across the world. The best shirt England have ever made and that\u2019s saying something.<\/p>\n

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5.\u00a0Barcelona 1995\/97 Home<\/h2>\n
\"Pep<\/figure>\n

A young Pep Guardiola modelling Barcelona\u2019s wonderful Kappa number \/ Getty Images\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Oh, Kappa. Another example of the manufacturer\u2019s brilliance, this\u00a0Barcelona\u00a0home shirt is one of the greatest club jerseys ever made. Everything about it is perfect, from the Kappa taping to the subliminal Barca pattern.<\/p>\n

Barca have had some unbelievable shirts over the years, but it\u2019s unlikely that anything will ever top this.<\/p>\n

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4.\u00a0Arsenal 1991\/93 Away<\/h2>\n
\"Lee<\/figure>\n

Arsenal\u2019s famous \u2018Bruised Banana\u2019 shirt is a beauty \/ Ben Radford\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Arsenal are another side renowned for their stylish shirts, but the fabled \u2018Bruised Banana\u2019 jersey is unrivalled. Something about the chevron pattern and the red accents work wonderfully.<\/p>\n

Arsenal have had plenty of nods to this famous shirt over the years, but nothing will ever be able to trump the real thing.<\/p>\n

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3.\u00a0Denmark 1986\/88 Home<\/h2>\n
\"Michael<\/figure>\n

Denmark and Hummel have always produced bangers \/ Getty Images\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

The first and only Hummel shirt in the rankings, the manufacturer\u2019s love affair with Denmark began in the 1980s. This was one of the first kits they ever produced for the Scandinavians and it remains one of the most iconic of all time.<\/p>\n

The half-and-half pinstripe look is so unique, or at least it was until Hummel remade this shirt for a whole bunch of their partnered teams for the 2023\/24 season, including the likes of Southampton, Koln and Werder Bremen.<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0West Germany 1988\/91 Home<\/h2>\n
\"Thomas<\/figure>\n

Vintage adidas is hard to top \/ Alessandro Sabattini\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

West Germany were lucky to don this shirt for a three-year period and it is still one of the most cherished shirts the world has ever seen. The German flag pattern is beautifully random, perfectly clashing with the white base of the jersey.<\/p>\n

Germany have always had some stunning kits, but nothing even comes close to competing with this extraordinary banger.<\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0Netherlands 1988 Home<\/h2>\n
\"Marco<\/figure>\n

The greatest kit there has ever been? \/ Alessandro Sabattini\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

The<\/em>\u00a0most famous football shirt of all time, the Netherlands\u2019 iconic Euro 1988 strip is still one of the most sought after kits. This shirt in good condition could easily set a fan back \u00a3500 these days.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s clear to see why it is so expensive given its rarity and beauty, with the Dutch offering up the classiest shirt of them all.<\/p>\n

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