The Most Iconic World Cup Shirts of All Time

A World Cup shirt carries more weight than most. It is worn on the biggest stage in the sport, by a whole country, for a few weeks every four years. The best ones outlive the tournament and become the shirt people picture when they think of a team.

This is our list of ten, arranged by year. For each one we have checked the final or the campaign, who made the shirt and what the design looked like, because the story behind a shirt is a large part of why it is worth having. Taste plays a part in any list like this, and you may have your own favourites. Note that winners are not the only entries: one of the ten lost the final and two went out in the last 16, and they are here because the shirt outlasted the result.

The Ten at a Glance

Ten Iconic World Cup Shirts

1. England, 1966

England's home shirt is white, but 1966 is remembered in red. England wore red shirts with white shorts and red socks when they beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time at Wembley on 30 July 1966, in front of 96,924 people. Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, still the only one in a World Cup final until Kylian Mbappe matched it in 2022, including the famous goal that hit the underside of the crossbar.

The shirt was made by Umbro, which first agreed to make England's kit in 1954, and it was a simple design with a crew neck, long sleeves and an embroidered Three Lions badge. Worth knowing: there is no flashy design to hold onto here, which is exactly the point. It is the simplicity and the date that make it.

2. Brazil, 1970

Many people's choice for the greatest team of all time, and a shirt to match. Brazil beat Italy 4-1 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 21 June 1970, with goals from Pele, Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto, whose goal at the end of a seven-pass move is considered one of the greatest in the tournament's history. It was Brazil's third World Cup, which let them keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.

The shirt was made by Athleta, a Brazilian maker: bright yellow with heavy green on the collar and sleeves and the CBF badge. It carried no stars, because the stars Brazil are known for came later, which makes it a particular snapshot of the moment before.

3. Netherlands, 1974

The Dutch reached the final in Munich playing the style known as Total Football, in bold orange, with Johan Cruyff as its leader. They won all three games in their first group, and in the final they went ahead from an early penalty, the first ever awarded in a World Cup final. West Germany won 2-1 on 7 July 1974, with Paul Breitner scoring from the spot and Gerd Muller scoring the winner.

The kit was made by Adidas, with one famous exception. Cruyff had a personal deal with Puma, so the Dutch federation agreed that his number 14 shirt would carry only two of the three Adidas stripes. Worth knowing: the Netherlands did not win, but many fans think of this orange shirt before the winners'. That is our opinion, but it is a widely shared one.

4. Argentina, 1986

Diego Maradona's World Cup. Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in the final at the Estadio Azteca on 29 June 1986, with goals from Jose Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga, and Maradona providing the pass for the winner. The tournament also gave us his two goals in the 2-1 quarter-final win over England, one of them the "Hand of God" and the other the goal many call the best the World Cup has seen.

The shirt was made by Le Coq Sportif, in the light blue and white stripes that define Argentine football. It is one of the most copied national shirts there is, which is a good reason to check any 1986 shirt carefully before you buy it.

5. Denmark, 1986

Denmark were making their World Cup debut, and they arrived as a team nicknamed Danish Dynamite. They won all three group games, beating Scotland 1-0, Uruguay 6-1 and West Germany 2-0, before losing 5-1 to Spain in the last 16. The shirt is what people remember.

It was made by Hummel, which supplied Denmark's kit from 1979 to 2004 and again from 2016, and it was a bold split design: one half plain white and the other covered in fine red and white stripes, with Hummel's chevrons down the sleeves. According to the story, the designers, Birgit Leitner and Anne-Mette Ernst, happened to have striped fabric lying around at Hummel's office and decided to work it in. Captain Morten Olsen called the result "different" when it was presented, and the shirt then became a design classic, with Hummel later using the pattern on tracksuits, umbrellas and even beach chairs.

6. West Germany, 1990

West Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in Rome on 8 July 1990, with Andreas Brehme scoring from a penalty in the 84th minute. Lothar Matthaus, the usual penalty taker, had changed his boots during the match and did not feel comfortable taking it. It was West Germany's third World Cup, and the final was the first in which players were sent off, with two red cards.

The shirt was made by Adidas, in the national colours of red, gold and black, with a geometric pattern running diagonally across the chest. Designer Ina Franzmann built the pattern to chart the team's World Cup story, with a peak at the left shoulder for 1974, a dip for 1978, a recovery for the second places of 1982 and 1986 and a line pointing upwards at the end. It was first worn at Euro 88, in defeat, and Franz Beckenbauer chose to keep it for Italia 90.

7. Brazil, 1994

The only World Cup final to finish goalless after 120 minutes, and the first decided on penalties. Brazil beat Italy 3-2 in the shootout at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on 17 July 1994, after Franco Baresi and then Roberto Baggio missed, with Baggio sending his kick over the bar. It was Brazil's fourth World Cup title.

The shirt was made by Umbro and kept the classic look: yellow, with a green V-neck collar and green trim on the sleeves. A subtle pattern of CBF crests ran across the torso, and there were stars above the badge. It is a favourite among collectors who grew up in the 1990s.

8. France, 1998

France won the World Cup on home soil for the first time, beating Brazil 3-0 at the Stade de France on 12 July 1998. Zinedine Zidane scored twice with headers from corners and Emmanuel Petit added a third in injury time. It was a strange night for Brazil, whose star striker Ronaldo had a convulsive fit that afternoon and was left off the team sheet, then reinstated shortly before kick-off. About 1.5 million people gathered on the Champs-Elysees to celebrate.

The shirt was made by Adidas, in blue with a white collar and cuffs, red and blue stripes and a red band with white stripes across the chest. It was one of the most worn and recognised shirts of the decade.

9. Nigeria, 1998

Nigeria's Nike shirt at France 98 is often named among the best-looking kits in World Cup history. The team started with a 3-2 win over Spain in their opening match and finished top of their group, before going out 4-1 to Denmark in the last 16. The shirt outlived the exit.

It was a vibrant green with white side panels, white sleeve stripes outlined in dark green and a white V-neck collar. Worth knowing: this is the standout example of a shirt that is loved for its design more than the result, which is why collectors who like bold looks go for it.

10. Spain, 2010

Spain won their first World Cup in South Africa, beating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time at Soccer City in Johannesburg on 11 July 2010, with an Andres Iniesta goal in the 116th minute. They became the first European nation to win the tournament outside Europe. It was a bruising final, with a record 14 bookings.

The detail most people miss: Spain played the final in their dark blue away shirt, made by Adidas with red and yellow accents, and only changed into the red home shirt, with a star above the badge, for the trophy presentation. If you are looking for the shirt Spain won it in, it is the blue one.

International shirts are the ones people get most emotional about. They are not about a club, they are about where you are from.

- Jamie King, co-founder, Mystery Jersey King

What Makes a World Cup Shirt Iconic

• A great team. Shirts tied to winners, or to teams people loved, last longest in memory. Brazil 1970 and the Netherlands 1974 are the clearest examples.
• A great design. Some shirts, like Denmark's in 1986 or Nigeria's in 1998, are remembered for the look alone.
• A great moment. A final, a famous goal or a famous player gives the shirt a story. Hurst in 1966, Maradona in 1986 and Zidane in 1998 are all tied to one image.
• A story in the shirt itself. Cruyff's two stripes and the diagonal lines on West Germany's 1990 shirt are details that turn a garment into a talking point.
• A national identity. International shirts carry the colours of a country, which gives them emotional weight.

For club shirts that meet the same test, see our guides to the best European club shirts to own, the best 2000s football shirts and the best retro football shirts of all time.

Collecting International Shirts

International shirts are popular, and the best-known tournament designs attract copies, so it pays to know what you are buying. These are the things worth checking.

• Original or reissue. Many of the shirts above have been remade over the years. A reissue is a fine thing to own, but it is not the same as a shirt from the time, so ask which one is on offer.
• Which shirt was worn. Spain 2010 is the example: the home shirt and the final shirt are different. Check the colour and the season before you buy.
• Player issue or replica. Tournament shirts often come in more than one version, so check which you are looking at.
• Prints and badges. Older prints can crack or peel and badges can fade, so look closely at the photos.
• Genuine tags. The most famous shirts are the most copied. Our guides to the most faked football shirts, how manufacturers mark a genuine shirt and how to tell if a retro football shirt is genuine explain what to look for.
• Aftercare. See how to store and display a football shirt collection and 15 tips to cultivate your football shirt collection.

For a chosen era, browse the retro football shirts collection. If you would like the surprise, a mystery football shirt box delivers one genuine shirt, from any club, any nation, any era. Discover our mystery football shirts to see how it works.

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