Although the 1990s remain the golden age of retro football shirts, since the year 2000 we have seen iconic designs that have left their mark on the history of the sport. With clubs launching up to four kits per season, and some like Manchester City using nine different ones in a single year, the creation of classics is constant.
As we approach the end of 2025, we have selected 25 of the best original club designs from around the world since the turn of the century, chosen with the help of editors from Alofoke Deportes.
AC Milan, home kit 2000-02 (Adidas)
Milan started the century with a uniform that still looks fresh today, with its iconic widened red and black stripes framed by a horizontal black band at the top and on the sleeves. Although the team did not achieve important titles during this period, the uniform became a symbol of the era.
Ajax, second kit 2022-23 (Adidas)
Ajax presented an exquisite second kit in 2022-23, with a dark blue design dotted with gold and red details, inspired by the crosses of the Amsterdam coat of arms. Despite not winning titles, the jersey became an object of desire for fans.
Arsenal, first kit 2005-06 (Nike)
Arsenal wore a dark red shirt (officially designated as “currant”) in their last season at Highbury Stadium, inspired by the club’s first uniform in the early 1900s. Gold details added elegance to this farewell to their spiritual home. With Thierry Henry as captain, the Gunners reached the Champions League final, although they lost to Barcelona in Paris.
Barcelona, first kit 2010-11 (Nike)
Barcelona has had many classic kits over the years, but the one from the 2010-11 season is considered one of the best. The key is in the simplicity, with well-defined stripes, matching yellow details and the presence of Lionel Messi, who led the team to victory in LaLiga and the Champions League under the direction of Pep Guardiola.
Bayern Munich, second kit 2021-22 (Adidas)
Bayern hit the mark with their second kit of 2021-22, featuring a black base, bright gold details, and an asymmetrical quartering effect. The details were first-class, including the gold emblem on the nape of the neck, which displayed the “Munich child”, a hooded figure that appears on the coat of arms of the Bavarian city.
Boca Juniors, first kit 2001-02 (Nike)
The iconic blue and gold jersey of Boca Juniors has been worn by many of the best players in the world. The 2001-02 edition, with its centered crest, navy blue underarm panels and gold details, is a perfect example.
Brisbane Roar, second kit 2024-25 (Cikers)
To celebrate the Brisbane Roar’s 20th anniversary in the A-League, their 2024-25 away kit featured an unusual off-white and maroon checkered design, paying homage to the state of Queensland. The checks are formed by the silhouette of the rampant lion that appears on the club’s crest.
Cerezo Osaka, first kit 1999-2000 (Mizuno)
The neon pink and navy blue striped jersey of Osaka from the early millennium is an example of the “more is more” design of the 1990s. Along with the stripes, the jersey has twin columns of white dashes, chevron tape on the collar and cuffs, and then a thin zigzag tape on the sleeves.
Club América, first kit 2025-26 (Adidas)
The Club América has forged a reputation for its excellent jerseys. The 2025-26 home jersey, in which the iconic tricolor flag of the Mexican team receives a clean and contemporary touch.
Corinthians, third kit 2018-19 (Nike)
In 2018, Corinthians paid tribute to the late Ayrton Senna, a fan of the Brazilian club. Launched on the 30th anniversary of the legend’s first F1 world championship victory, the black and gold jersey had Senna’s signature in the middle, while the 41 horizontal lines on the chest represented the number of Grand Prix victories he accumulated during his short but brilliant career.
Flamengo, first kit 2018 (Adidas)
Flamengo always benefits from an extremely photogenic crest that can elevate even the most mundane red and black shirt designs. The script-style “CRF” intertwined logo sits proudly on a hooped shirt that is complemented by the presence of “micro stripes” of dark red. It was used when Mengão (with a young Vinícius Júnior) finished as runners-up in Serie A and also managed to overcome the group stage of the Copa Libertadores for the first time in almost a decade.
Inter Milan, third kit 2019-20 (Nike)
Although it seems like an oversight not to include a contemporary example of Inter’s beloved nerazzurri stripes, how could we overlook the impressive third kit of the Italian club from 2019-20? With a 1990s vibe and in black and yellow, the jersey was launched in Monza and inspired the Pirelli racing tires that became synonymous with Inter’s uniforms as their sponsor for almost 30 years. Simple, refined, beautiful.
Juventus, third kit 2024-25 (Adidas)
Among the best offers of the first round of alternatives with the Adidas trefoil, the ultra-elegant design of Juve was loosely based on a lunar theme, with the dark blue base color intended to evoke images of the night sky over Turin and the golden details shining like stars. The twisted stripes are formed by the club’s modern “double J” crest, which was replaced on the chest by the silhouette of a rearing zebra, a symbol first used by the Bianconeri in the early 1980s.
Liverpool, third kit 2021-22 (Nike)
The Liverpool 2021-22 harvest may have been edged out by a single point in the Premier League title race and then lost to Real Madrid by a single goal in the Champions League final, but at least they ended the season with a domestic cup double to their name. They also had an extremely fine away shirt to boast that season, with their famous creamy “ecru” color (originally popularized in the mid-1990s) making a long-awaited return along with complementary flashes of green and red. The button-down polo collar adds an extra touch of sophistication.
Mamelodi Sundowns, second kit 2021-22 (Puma)
Traditional prints were combined with dark blue tones and touches of bright yellow trim to create the brilliant 2021-22 away shirt of the South African club Sundowns, evoking images of the sunset and the inky night sky beginning to filter over the vast plains of Springbok Flats.
Manchester City, third kit 2009-11 (Umbro)
After originally appearing in the 1970s, the red and black two-tone sash has been an intermittent staple of City’s alternative shirts ever since, returning for the first time in 2002-03 and then making a much grander comeback between 2009 and 2011, at the end of which City won the FA Cup, ending their 35-year wait for a major trophy and launching headfirst into the Abu Dhabi era. Umbro’s incarnation of the sash was an instant success and is still highly regarded by the club and its fans, so much so that Puma chose to renew the design for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Manchester United, third kit 2024-25 (Adidas)
The reintroduction of the trefoil logo on their shirts has proven to be a masterstroke for Adidas, which has seen a resurgence with its recent retro and third kit ranges. One of the best examples is United’s third kit for 2024-25, which saw wide red and black bands wrapped around the chest of an off-white shirt that also gave prominence to a simplified and reduced devil emblem. It was supposed to be seen as the giant tricolor flags that United fans wave around stadiums around the world. Honestly, we think they nailed it.
Palermo, first kit 2014-15 (Joma)
If the term “pretty in pink” was ever applicable, it’s when discussing Palermo’s home shirts, famous for their pink color. The 2014-15 edition was a peach, with panel construction, black and gold trim, and a fancy sponsor logo that really sets it apart. It turned out to be a largely unremarkable campaign for La Rosanero, but it saw the emergence of young striker Paulo Dybala, who ended up as the club’s top scorer before leaving to join Juventus in a 40 million euro deal the following summer.
Paris Saint-Germain, first kit 2001-02 (Nike)
An iconic design, the 2001-02 PSG home shirt reduces the club’s famous aesthetic to its essential elements, namely the dark blue base, the wide red “Hechter” stripe, and just a slight layer of white trim here and there. Long before the big riches arrived and changed their fortunes forever, the Parisians finished fourth in Ligue 1 with a team that contained Ronaldinho, Nicolas Anelka, Jay-Jay Okocha, Mauricio Pochettino, and a young man named Mikel Arteta. However, they managed to win the Intertoto Cup by beating Rangers on penalties in the final.
Pumas UNAM, first kit 2016-17 (Nike)
With the giant puma head emblazoned on the front, the golden and blue jerseys of the Pumas tend to stand out in a crowd, but the addition of an exquisite historical graphic in 2016-17 really caught the eye worldwide. The ornate artwork was created by Mexican artist Juan O’Gorman and is taken from his incredible mural that illuminates the entire front of the central library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which is located on the same campus as the club’s huge Estadio Olímpico Universitario of the Liga MX.
Real Madrid, first kit 2021-22 (Adidas)
After suffering a rare trophy-less season in 2020-21, Real hoped their “lucky orange” jersey would bring great fortune the following season. The omens were good when Los Blancos revealed their new kit which featured multicolored trim and a swirling pattern on the material inspired by the famous roundabout and fountains of Plaza de Cibeles, the area of Madrid where Real fans flock to celebrate silverware. And, indeed, they returned there the following May after their rejuvenated team managed to win LaLiga and the Champions League.
The band. The trim. The classic sponsor. The loose proportions typical of the early 2000s. The large folding collar that would probably be pulled up to cover your ears. Honestly, we don’t think River has improved this effortless, unadorned recipe. It’s perfect.
Roma, third kit 2019-20 (Nike)
Still sought after, Roma’s third navy blue, gold and crimson kit hasn’t aged a day since its launch six years ago. The 1990s-era Nike logo looks appropriate alongside the thick neckline and the material itself has a subtle repetitive print pattern formed by the club’s “Lupetto” wolf head emblem and the intertwined “ASR” initials taken from the club crest. While the 2019-20 season is unlikely to remain in the memory of Giallorossi fans thanks to a disappointing fifth place in the league and early exits from all cup competitions, we suspect that the corresponding shirt will endure for many years.
Seattle Sounders, home kit 2024-25 (Adidas)
Nicknamed “The Anniversary Kit”, the 2024-25 Sounders home kit commemorated the club’s 50-year history and, as such, was inspired by the striped home and away shirts they wore during the 1983 NASL season with a color palette extracted from their mid-1970s shirts. It could have been a kind of combination, but the overall design worked wonders, at least partially proving the old fashion maxim that “blue and green should never be seen” together. In addition, the excellent old Sounders “Orca” emblem was reincorporated on the back of the neck, which was an excellent retro touch.
Vissel Kobe, first kit 2020 (Asics)
Kobe launched a wonderfully extravagant new jersey for the 2020 J. League season, which featured a large harlequin pattern in maroon and white and was worn by a group of notable European stars, most notably the World Cup-winning duo Andrés Iniesta and David Villa. The duo inspired Kobe to their first trophy, the 2020 Emperor’s Cup, in what turned out to be the latter’s last appearance in Japan.
