A football shirt identifies many things, including the name and number of the player who is wearing it, the team’s colours and logos, and affiliation with a squad. In modern football, a professional team’s shirt changes annually.
The most obvious reason for this is to generate sales (stacks of fans have several iterations of their favourite club’s shirt.)
The logo of the team’s sponsor is also usually featured on their jersey, and the costs for a brand to be featured are very high. As such, featured brands change regularly as new contracts are negotiated. This also means football shirts are one of the most important financial assets of a team.
However, as branding and styles change constantly, a football shirt can also be used as an identifying marker for an iteration of a team. Because of this, some football shirts are worth more than others.
In celebration of this odd fact, we decided to rank some of the most iconic football shirts of all-time. It wasn’t an easy job because famous football shirts is mostly a subjective thing. Because of this, attributing a value to shirts is also often difficult.
Each of us has one or more in the heart for various reasons: the design, the player who wore it, whether a team won something in it, and so on. Yet, we can all agree that some are more remarkable than others. So, with that said, here are the top 10 most famous football shirts ever.
Top 10 Most-Famous Football Shirts
- Brazil – 1970/1971
- Boca Juniors – 1981/1982
- Celtic – 1966/1967
- Ajax – 1994/1995
- Liverpool – 1982/1983
- Real Madrid – 1959/1960
- AC Milan – 1988/1989
- Netherlands – 1974/1975
- Denmark – 1986/1987
- Juventus – 1985/1986
10. Juventus – 1985/1986
This isn’t a simple football shirt; this is the Juventus shirt. What makes it so unique? The black and white stripes feature, obviously. But the huge collar also gives something truly special to this jersey.
The club’s 1985/86 shirt didn’t feature their logo. Instead, in its place are two stars denoting Juventus’ achievements in Serie A up until that point – each represents 10 league titles. (A third star was added in 2014.)
Another difference can be seen with the way sponsors are dealt with. The “Ariston” is way larger, but the Kappa logo saw its size reduced throughout the season.
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9. Denmark – 1986/1987
When Denmark made its World Cup debut in 1986 with this jersey, opinions were divided. Many people consider the country’s kit for the tournament as one of the best football kits ever. Others find it extreme and unstylish.
This jersey is split into two parts. Half of it is completely red and the other half contains light-red and white stripes. This fresh new style also convinced some clubs, like Coventry and Southampton, to take up the style to the delight and dismay of many.
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8. Netherlands – 1974/1975
Orange has always been the colour of Netherlands and this shirt clearly states it.
Simple and at the same time iconic, all football supporters fell in love with this shirt. The Dutch wore it in the 1974 World Cup final in Germany. Even if the Germans won the title, no one can forget this amazing kit.
This is a remarkable jersey for another reason too. While Adidas sponsored the Dutch national team, captain Johan Cruijff was sponsored by Puma. Thus, Cruijff got a custom version of the kit with only two stripes on the sleeves and no logo on the chest. What a move!
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7. AC Milan – 1988/1989
Ask Milan supporters which is the most iconic shirt in the club’s history and many will probably picture the one worn by Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Marco Van Basten.
During the late 1980s and 1990s, AC Milan was terrifyingly good. And with their black and red striped shirts, the team was fashionably strong too.
This is a classic shirt that will always be remembered.
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6. Real Madrid – 1959/1960
Pristine white jerseys have always been synonymous with Real Madrid. This is why we couldn’t help but put it on this list.
The club has many famous shirts. However, the team’s 1959/1960 jersey is particularly famous – it was the most winning one in history! Indeed, Los Blancos won in it the fifth consecutive European Cup defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the thrilling final of the tournament in Glasgow.
We’re sure that no one, but no one, has forgotten that great team.
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5. Liverpool – 1984/1985
Among all of the shirts the Reds have collected throughout their history, we can say that this kit is considered their best.
With classic red and thin stripes, it is nearly identical to their 1983/84 home shirt. However, this shirt without sponsored logos just stands out.
Liverpool wore it during the 1984 European Cup final in Rome where they beat AS Roma on penalties to take home the trophy.
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4. Ajax – 1994/1995
At number four, we’ve got Ajax in one of their best seasons ever: 1994/1995.
The Amsterdam club has been using the same template for over 100 years now – red and white with a single thick stripe down the centre. It’s simple and unique in its kind. But, something which remains incredibly rare about this ’94 shirt, is its featured vertical sponsorship.
The team wore it during their UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich. The team would eventually go on to win European football’s biggest club trophy that season.
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3. Celtic – 1966/1967
Simple but at the same time unforgettable; it is impossible not to include Celtic FC and their 1967 European Cup shirt in this list.
No logos, no sponsors and no-frills. Just their green and white horizontal stripes. As real as it gets.
Celtic wore it during the final against Inter Milan in Portugal where they made history. The ‘Lisbon Lions’ would go on to win the game and become the first British team to win the European Cup.
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2. Boca Juniors – 1981/1982
Boca Juniors’ blue and yellow is the most identifiable club football shirt in Argentina. The colours are simply irreplaceable!
The shirt of the 1981/82 season was the first to feature Boca’s four-star crest alongside the famous colours whose inspiration came from the Buenos Aires outfit.
Also in this case, great players make the shirt famous, and this one screams Diego Maradona’s name. He became famous with this jersey, helping the team win the 1981 trophy and promoting this kit.
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1. Brazil – 1970/1971
The first place of this list goes to the retro classic shirt of Brazil during the 1970/71 season. Simple, elegant and easy on the eye is the best way to describe this shirt.
They were the only team stronger than the Italians during those years. With legends such as Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelino, and Carlos Alberto, Brazil had some of the best strikers the world has ever seen.
Pele and the squad won the FIFA World Cup for the third time in 1970. This was the last shirt he wore before retiring.
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