50. Nagoya Grampus Eight: home, 1994/95
There’s something so brilliantly pleasing about Nagoya Grampus Eight writing their own name across the front of the shirt, rather than plastering it with a sponsor. The yellow and white blocks on the sleeves also help the red stand out even more, while the dolphin heading/kicking – we’re not sure which – a football on the badge is a lovely touch.
49. Marseille: home, 1993
Adidas stripes have undergone various guises in the past, from starting off on the shoulders but moving all over the shirt. One of the most loved styles the brand ever tried was making the stripes huge and moving them over the right shoulder – and Marseille's dominance at the time made this shirt, worn by the likes of Rudi Voller and Abedi Pele, the standout of the genre.
48. Corinthians: third, 2022/23
A decade after defeating Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in Yokohama, Corinthians released one of the most disarming anniversary shirts ever. Japanese script reading "We are Corinthians" covers the top, while there's a Japan flag within the neck of the top itself.
The players' names were even printed in Japanese on the back. Lovely touch.
47. Netherlands: home, 1974
The Dutch record before 1974 at the World Cup? Two games, two losses. The Netherlands' legend began with Total Football, this bright orange jersey and the story of how Puma-sponsored Johan Cruyff rebelled against the Three Stripes by ripping one of them off his sleeves. It least it made it easier for unlicensed replicas to sell decades later.
46. France: home, 1984
That red horizontal line would become a staple of so many more French Euros shirts, from 2004, where they sucker-punched England, to 2021, when they went toe-to-toe over two hours with Switzerland. The original, however, was '84 and the fleet-footed Platini. This would become the template too, of course, for 1998's edition.
45. Real Madrid: away, 1998/99
Exactly the inverse of the home shirt. Think of this baggy top and you immediately conjure pictures of Raul, McManaman and Zizou all in their pomp – this was a beast of a football shirt, combined with its excellent sponsor and gold trim fit for the Galacticos.
44. Brazil: home, 1998
Forever synonymous with a crestfallen R9, silver Nike boots tied by the laces and hanging round his neck.
But Brazil inspired a generation with this one in France. They danced their way to the final – just as they did in the airport – in something more stripped back than '94, with just those green lines from sleeve to collar.
43. Fiorentina: away, 1996/97
Is it actually real? Who knows – but having this moustachioed plumber on the front of a Fiorentina shirt is about the most Italian thing possible. No one can actually remember the Viola playing in this top and only 300 were reportedly produced. They've become gold dust in the intervening years.
42. Blyth Spartans: home, 1993/94
In 1992, one of non-league’s most famous clubs were struggling financially. Viz comic, founded and produced in nearby Newcastle, had been hitting sales of 1.2 million per issue not long before. Struggling Spartans reached out and Viz stepped in to the tune of £10,000.
The club wore Viz on their shirts for two years and what would become a seriously collectable shirt was born.
41. Cameroon: home, 2002
You knew it would be on the list, didn't you? Puma looked to reinvent the wheel in 2002 when they sent Cameroon to AFCON in vests: and the kit caused so much uproar that they stitched black sleeves to the top when they wore it at the World Cup.
Things would get even more heated when Puma replaced this one with a onesie – yes, really – with Sepp Blatter screaming, "You cannot play a game against the laws of the game," about the outfit. The Indomitable Lions faced a $154,000 fine and were docked six points from their 2006 World Cup qualifying group before appeal. Personally, we preferred the vests.
