Given its perpetual popularity, it’s strange to think that this shirt was only used five times by Newcastle. Combined with ecru shorts, the maroon and blue hooped kit was the first Geordie away shirt from adidas and paid homage to the jerseys worn by Newcastle West End. The unusual colours and the use of the same grandad collar that featured on that season’s home kit combined to make this something special. It also helps that it was worn by Kevin Keegan’s entertainers. 

A strange choice in some ways – after all, this was the shirt in which Ronaldo toiled in the World Cup final having suffered a seizure just hours before kick-off. You remember the haunting image of the world’s best player, Nike Mecurials hanging round his neck, staring dejectedly into space in the Stade de Paris. But this was a great shirt in its own right.

Worn during their first ever appearance at a World Cup, this Lotto masterpiece provided the backdrop for Croatia’s epic run to the semi-final at France ‘98 (not bad for a country with a population of less than four million people). Lotto’s design saw the šahovnica flag pattern draped over the right shoulder. It was so good the same shirt was worn at Euro 2000 and during the World Cup 2002 qualifying campaign.

 This shirt is undeniably beautiful, and on Ruud Gullit in his prime, it became fabric-made art. In the late '80s, the Dutchman was at his peak, both physically and professionally. After joining Milan in 1987, his street football skills shaped him into a Serie A star. Under Arrigo Sacchi, Milan won back-to-back European Cups in ’89 and ’90. The Rossoneri—and especially big Ruud—looked sensational in their Kappa stripes as they conquered Europe.

The late 80s marked a turning point for football shirt design. Manufacturers started to take bigger risks, experimenting with eye-catching graphics and bolder colourways – and football was all the richer for it. Not everyone liked it, though. Holland’s Euro ’88 jersey is a case in point. It is, these days, a bonafide grail.

Jamaica’s first and only World Cup appearance came in 1998 – and boy did they make their presence known with one of the great tournament jerseys, courtesy of Kappa. The template was also used for South Africa but this is the superior version. The vibrancy of the yellow is such that you really shouldn’t stare directly at it without wearing sunglasses.

 Cameroon stole the show at Italia ’90, shocking defending champions Argentina in the opener. With players mostly from France’s second division, the Indomitable Lions impressed with physicality, flair, and resilience. Their kit stood out too—an adidas template, but the vibrant colors and bold lion badge made it special, just like the team. 

The late 90s Fiorentina side was something else. Rui Costa, Edmundo, Gabby Batistuta… it was a side packed with proper legends who helped remind you why you fell in love with football in the first place. The tragedy was La Viola’s unquestionable quality didn’t win much. They looked good though. Fila – a brand more closely associated with tennis – delivered one of the iconic Serie A jerseys. The white bars down the arms, that Nintendo sponsor, Fiorentina’s beautiful club crest… glorious.

This shirt is proof that sometimes simplicity is best. Made from an Airtex material to counter the heat of the Mexican summer, Le Coq Sportif delivered an elegant, understated jersey for Argentina, as they conquered all to win the 1986 World Cup. Unusually, the central stripe was white and not blue - a rarity for Argentina. This was the Albiceleste shirt that Diego looked best in.

Germany's 1994 World Cup shirt was a bold statement—iconic, unapologetic, and unmistakably German. The classic white base was elevated by a striking, geometric pattern across the chest in black, red, and gold, evoking the national flag in a modern, dynamic way. Though the reigning champions fell short in the quarter-finals, their adidas kit remained a standout. Sleek yet powerful, it perfectly embodied the team’s confidence and legacy on the world stage. 

‘It was one of those days when you go out and play, and everything just seems to click,’ recalls Steve McManaman of the 2000 Champions League final. The Scouser helped himself to a goal in a 3-0 win over Valencia in Paris. And the shirt he and his team-mates wore that night – jet black with orange trim – was just as sumptuous as Macca’s scissor-volley.

Back in 1989/90, Napoli were cruising to their second Scudetto in four years. Led by Diego Maradona, Gli Azzurri looked resplendent in their Ennerre kits. In truth, there isn't much to choose between any of the Napoli jerseys produced by NR, the sportswear brand created by Nicola Raccuglia, a former player with Palermo and Vicenza. However, we reckon the Mars logo elevates this one above the others.

Originally formed under the name ‘Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club’ way back in 1878, during those initial years, the club wore yellow and green, hence Umbro’s homage to United’s origins some 90 years later. It’s a great shirt in its own right but has become even more special during the last decade or so, with frustrated supporters adopting yellow and green as colour of protest as they make clear their unhappiness with the Glazer regime.

Kappa produced just two home shirts for Ajax during their all-too-brief four-year partnership, the second of which was this masterpiece. Worn by Johan Cruyff as he brought down the curtain on his playing career in the city where it all began, the thick, clean stripes combined with an elegant collar, vintage Ajax badge and TDK sponsor make this one of the greats. 

Colombia's home shirt from Italia 90 is fondly remembered - so much so that adidas paid homage to it in 2018. However, it's the red away jersey from the same tournament that was the real gem. It follows the same design as the home shirt, and Colombia wore this shirt in all three of their Group D games before switching back to their traditional yellow in the round of 16 where they were eliminated by Cameroon. 

 In the ’90s, Serie A was football’s Hollywood—global stars, huge stadiums, and eccentric owners. Few clubs were as exciting as Parma, the small team with big ambitions. In 1999, they had a star-studded squad featuring Buffon, Crespo, Ortega, Cannavaro, and Thuram. Their kit, made by Champion - better known for NBA gear - was just as iconic. 

Fun fact: this shirt’s template was called ‘Italia’ and came in red, blue, and yellow. River Plate had a great version, but Arsenal’s became legendary. Initially mocked, the bruised banana gained cult status. It’s even more special as Ian Wright wore it when he scored his first Arsenal goal against Leicester in September 1991. 

As the 1980s gave way to the 90s, shirt designers collectively released the handbrake and started experimenting with bolder, more ambitious creations. That was the case with this adidas effort for Liverpool – while the cut and collar were largely the same as its predecessor from the season previous, a visual change came in the form of a white flecked pattern, which helped make John Barnes, Ian Rush and Barry Venison sparkle.

Nigeria has a history of epic football shirts, long before the 2018 World Cup. Choosing the greatest is tough, but the 1994 adidas home shirt stands out. Worn by the Super Eagles’ golden generation at the USA World Cup, it was a true masterpiece. Just picture Jay-Jay Okocha weaving his magic in it—pure nostalgia. 

This Gaudi-inspired classic, worn by Ronaldo, Pep Guardiola and Luis Figo, coincided with the end of an era at Camp Nou when Johan Cruyff was sacked by the Catalans in May 1996 after eight years in charge. The following season, Bobby Robson guided Barca to the Cup Winners’ Cup and Copa del Rey, although even that wasn’t enough to keep him in his role.

The stuff of legend – the second division play-off final, 95 minutes gone and Paul Dickov smashed in an equaliser (past Vince Bartram, the best man at his wedding) from 2-0 down to send the game into extra time and eventually penalties. A classic 90s Kappa cut, with thick fluorescent yellow and black stripes, and that brother sponsor. A shirt that is so good, it has been imitated in the years since.

When adidas won the contract to produce the Belgium shirt in 1984, they immediately delivered the nation’s most iconic kit of all time (and forever more). Quite who the hell thought that a white chest band with an argyle pattern running across it would work deserves a medal – it’s absurd, ridiculous and nothing short of genius. Worn during Euro ’84, the shirt was so good that it was the inspiration for the Belgium jersey at the 2018 World Cup.

One of many great Boca Juniors shirts, the simplicity of the 1981/82 shirt sees it stand out as a favourite - that plus the CABJ starred font on the chest, which the club has revisited in recent seasons. Doesn’t hurt that it was worn by a certain Diego Maradona, either.

There’s something special about green shirts. Think Palmeiras, Betis, Celtic, Panathinaikos… clubs who are consistently kitted out in great jerseys. St Etienne are no exception – and if you head back to the early 80s, you get the added bonus of a giant sponsor, something that came to define French club shirt design back then.