The best-looking football jerseys

As we were saying, the best-looking football jerseys in the history of the game depend on many things: the decade you grew up in, your taste in colours, that love for your team… there are many factors that can completely change this list – a story that everyone constructs in their own wonderful way in their minds. It’s the love of football that matters. Below, based on the preferences of several Fútbol Emotion staff members, we’ve put together a short list of official club jerseys and, of course, the official national team jerseys. It’s worth noting that they’re not listed in any particular order; they all form part of an incredible collection of historic designs. Let’s take a look at them.

The best-looking football jerseys in history

2010 Spain away kit

Who doesn’t remember this Spain jersey from when we lifted the World Cup trophy in South Africa? This jersey takes us straight back to that moment when Andrés Iniesta scored against the Netherlands in the 116th minute. The most glorious moment in Spain’s history

1988 Netherlands kit

Wearing this jersey, the Dutch team lifted the European Championship trophy after beating the Soviet Union 2–0. This design by the German brand adidas is one of those that remains etched in the memory of fans, with Van Basten, Gullit, Koeman and Rijkaard as its icons. A force to be reckoned with on the pitch, and an icon off it, 30 years on.

1990 Inter kit

What’s so special about this jersey? The Inter Milan jersey stands out for its simplicity, its colours and that touch of nostalgia that still allows us to see that iconic team sponsor, Pirelli. Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo’s number 9 springs to mind – those moments when ‘The Phenomenon’ cemented his status as the greatest striker in history. Interestingly, this was the first Nike kit produced as part of the brand’s partnership with the Nerazzurri.

1994 Germany kit

As we noticed in one of the headlines covering the 1994 World Cup in the USA, ‘Germany 94’ became the symbol of the tournament. The team, sponsored by adidas, travelled to the United States wearing a colourful and eye-catching jersey, but their football wasn’t quite up to scratch and they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. Both Germany’s home and away kits are now lifestyle items seen on the high street. This is hardly surprising, as for many it is the most beautiful jersey of all time.

1998 France kit

The 1998 World Cup provided many memorable moments that we will look back on later. Among them, we saw how this France jersey, led by the great Zinedine Zidane, defeated the mighty Brazil. A blue colour with touches of red and white – colours that blend together to create a perfect kit which, today, commands exorbitant prices on the second-hand market.

1992 FC Barcelona kit

For Barça fans, it is THE JERSEY. It was in this orange jersey – to which the club has paid tribute on more than one occasion – that Fútbol Club Barcelona won their first Champions League title with that stunning goal from Koeman. This was the first edition in which a final was decided in extra time without the need for a penalty shoot-out. The Spanish brand Meyba kitted out a generation of footballers and is part of our collective memory.

1995/96 Juventus kit

The 1995–96 Champions League was the 41st edition of the competition, following the same format as the previous season but with one significant change: wins were now worth 3 points instead of 2. Juventus won their second European Cup. Vialli lifted the trophy high into the Roman sky, and the tifosi were able to celebrate the title in a way they hadn’t been able to 11 years earlier. And adidas had designed a special badge for this competition: on this away kit, two stars were emblazoned on the shoulders. Something many of you fans will remember.

1998 Brazil kit

Earlier, we were talking about how the 1998 World Cup in France produced many historic moments. Among them was this Nike jersey worn by the Canarinha. True football magicians such as Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and Denilson were left on the sidelines. One of the photos that has become a cult favourite amongst the biggest fans in this world is the one where Ronaldo Nazario, in an unmistakable marketing ploy, hung his Nike Mercurial football boots around his neck.

1988 AC Milan kit

Committed to concepts such as “collective intelligence”, Sacchi called for “eleven players to be active at all times during the game, both in defence and attack”. And he certainly had them: Franco Baresi, Gullit, Van Basten… a veritable winning machine. That formidable Milan side owes its reputation to one of its most legendary teams, the one still known in Italy as “Sacchi’s Invincibles”. Back then, ‘Mediolanum’ was printed on those 1980s adidas jerseys.

2002 Italy kit

We’re not turning our backs on Italy, nor on Kappa. So let’s take a look at one of the best-selling jerseys of recent decades, alongside the Roma jersey from that era. This kit was so tight-fitting that, one of two things: either you had the perfect physique, or you had to be very brave to wear it. Captain Totti didn’t care one bit.

1993/94 RC Deportivo de A Coruña kit

Let’s give a special mention to that Deportivo de la Coruña kit – a team that, for a few moments, made it seem as though Spain was united behind a single side. For the younger generation, Leicester’s feat is the best example of what might have been, back in that 92/93 season with Djuckic’s fateful missed penalty. But Liaño, Depor’s goalkeeper, vowed revenge (“we’re a resilient lot…”) – a vow fulfilled a year later in the Cup final, which the blue-and-whites won against Valencia. What a team… That jersey, with its nautical design, that beautiful crest, with something as characteristic and distinctive as the numbers on the shoulders, and that sponsor, Feiraco, adding the classic finishing touch. Umbro was the ingenious brand behind this work of art.

And what do you think is the most iconic football jersey, or the one you like best?