80. Manchester United: 1994-96
Bobby Charlton coined Old Trafford as "the Theatre of Dreams" but Umbro were the ones that brought it to life. An iconic side Manchester United of the 1990s wore this absolute beauty, with the black collar perfect for the likes of Cantona and Keane at their fiery best.
79. Japan: home, 2022
World Cup 2022 was one of shocks and surprises – and Japan were among the most thrilling. The Samurai Blue were donned in this beautiful Adidas jersey, complete with yellow numbering and geometric lines.
Is it meant to look like The Great Wave off Kanagawa, represent speed and motion or is it reminiscent of the origami cranes the players left in the dressing room? Who knows – we just know that the Japanese wowed us: on the pitch and with their get-up.
78. Newport County: home, 2004/05
In 2004, rap group Goldie Lookin Chain teamed up with their local side to produce something that would transcend the valleys. The Newport County crest became the centre of a medallion: this is more than a football shirt, it's a moment in time for Welsh culture.
77. Liverpool: away, 1995-97
Plenty of football clubs have gone quartered for shirts – plenty of rugby clubs, too – but Liverpool delivered the pièce de resistance in their Spice Boys prime. The Carlsberg logo is magnificent as ever, while the Adidas insignia sans the mountain range looks classy.
But really, take away all logos… and you'd still recognise it instantly. A little like knowing the gait of Robbie Fowler on the shoulder of a defender just from his silhouette. A sign of a great.
76. Verdy Kawasaki: home, 1993/94
In the early 1990s, the Japanese had a dream to import Gary Lineker and kickstart football in the land of the rising sun. The Mizuno home top of Verdy Kawasaki is certainly reminiscent of a sunrise, worn by the club as they stormed to two J-League titles. It remains utterly unlike anything ever – in the Far East or anywhere else, for that matter.
75. Newcastle United: away 1998/99
Did Real Madrid and Adidas pay Newcastle the ultimate tribute by copying this design and colour scheme in 2021/22? We’ll let you be the judge.
A stand out combo, accentuated by those three stripes and that perfect Newcastle Brown Ale roundel sponsor. Newcastle were fairly dreadful during this period, but they looked bloody good.
74. Hibernian: away, 1994
Mitre stick to footballs more often than not. And that's a shame judging by this Hibs shirt of 1994. The chevrons of the brand remain in tact, on the sleeves and collar while that garish green/purple palette is one that few others ever dared to copy. It's fabulously Hibernian.
73. Blackburn Rovers: away, 1994-96
Asics were playing a blinder in the mid-1990s: Newcastle, Aston Villa, Leeds and Sampdoria were just a few who benefited from the Japanese brand's foray into European football. Several used this pinstripe template – but for us, the black-and-red used for Blackburn's change strip in their title-winning season is the best of the lot.
72. Barcelona: home, 2010/11
Messi with his long hair, Manchester United chasing shadows across the Wembley pitch. A Unicef logo in place of a sponsor, a thick, round yellow collar and those iconic Blaugrana stripes: untampered with. This may be the kit that the greatest-ever team wore – they looked nothing short of godly.
71. Inter Milan: away, 1992
A shirt so iconic that it spawned a Score Draw imitation… but for the England national team. This was back when lighter blue was more commonly paired with black on Inter Milan shirts – and for this stunning pre-Pirelli away top, they combined the two onto a white base for something that would truly stand the test of time.
