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From cumbersome Victorian kits to the tiny shorts of the 1970s, the mullets of the 1980s, and the sharp hairstyles of the 2000s, soccer style has undergone some dramatic changes over the years. Today, stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane cut a dash in retro stylings, but soccer fashions haven’t quite gone full circle. Browse this gallery to see how men’s soccer kits have changed over time.
Soccer as the world knows it today began life in the British public schools of the mid-1800s. Although balls had longed been kicked in the name of sport all over the world, it was schools such as Harrow and Eton that introduced standardized rules and kits. Here, the Harrow Football 11 show off their stripes in 1867.
Long, tight-fitting jerseys made from knitted wool were the hallmark of early Association Football (soccer) kits. Shorts were worn loose and very long, in keeping with conservative Victorian values.
By the end of the 1800s, the FA had ruled that all teams must register their official colors as well as an ‘away kit.’ Another big change was the shorter shorts, as evidenced by this 1902 Tottenham Hotspur team photo.
Shirt numbers and player names were nowhere to be seen in the early days of soccer. Socks were thick, boots were heavy, and even the referee dressed to impress. Here, Arsenal and Southampton show their club colors before the 1927 FA Cup semi-final.
Player numbers were first worn in a competitive game in 1933, for the FA Cup Final between Everton and Manchester City. Unlike modern games, Everton wore numbers one to 11, while City wore 12 to 22.
The Duke and Duchess of York presented Everton captain Dixie Dean with the FA Cup following their victory over Manchester City. The British royal family have a strong tradition of attending major soccer games.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904, but it wasn’t until 1930 that the inaugural FIFA World Cup was held, in Uruguay. Some countries tended to cut a dash more than others. In 1938, the World Cup-winning Italian team, pictured here with their trophy, could have scooped style awards, too.
Post-war, many teams saw a return to a more modest style, and some cash-strapped teams had to ask their fan base for help raising funds to kit out their heroes. British players tended to wear long flannelette shirts tucked into knee-length shorts, and striped socks were popular on the pitch.
Newcastle United’s black and white stripes have changed relatively little over time, although the socks and boots certainly have! George VI was in attendance to greet the team ahead of the 1951 FA Cup final.
English side Aston Villa shook up soccer style when they began wearing V-neck shirts in the late 1950s. Other teams such as Manchester United (pictured in 1958) soon followed suit.
The Brits may have invented soccer as we know it, but Brazilians like to say that Brazil made the game beautiful. Indeed, the sharply-dressed South Americans have always had kits with as much panache as their players.
Spanish side Real Madrid have worn the same glimmering white since the club’s inception in 1902. The stylish Spaniards are said to have taken inspiration from early English team Corinthians. By the 1960s, shorts were getting shorter in Spain and across the soccer world.
Indeed, hemlines had crept as high as the famous miniskirts of the time when England beat Germany in the final of the 1966 World Cup.
The 1970s brought rock and roll style to the soccer pitch, with dapper young Manchester United player George Best leading the charge. The first player to wear his hair long on the pitch, Best has been described by men’s style bible The Rake as the first global soccer icon.
Soccer was little known in the United States until Brazilian soccer legend Pelé signed for the New York Cosmos in 1975. The star striker cut a dash on the pitch in the concord collars of the time, and hung out with musicians like Elton John and Sérgio Mendes (pictured in 1977).
One sportswear label at the cutting edge of ’70s soccer style was the British brand Admiral. Here, Crystal Palace player Vince Hilaire wears a 1977 Admiral sashed shirt in fine style.
The 1980s were all about the shortest shorts imaginable. The Everton and Manchester United players shown here in 1985 appear to be only one step away from wearing swimming trunks!
The tiny shorts were a worldwide phenomenon, as was Argentine striker Diego Maradona. Cursed by the Brits in the 1986 FIFA World Cup for his ‘hand of God’ incident, he wowed the rest of the world with his prowess. And his tiny shorts.
The first Association Football kits saw the goalkeepers wear the same colors as the rest of the squad. But by 1909, the association ruled that they should wear a different color, which could be red, white, or blue. In 1980, they could pick their own color. Pictured: England keeper Peter Shilton.
Soccer players’ hair is almost as emblematic of an era as is the length of their shorts. The mullet was near-obligatory for many players in the 1980s, as displayed in this 1989 game between Paris Saint Germain and Marseilles.
Shorts were getting a little longer and looser by the time French player Eric Cantona made his debut for Leeds United in 1992.
Within a year, Cantona was playing at Manchester United, and entered the fashion history books when he flipped his shirt collar up with true French flair.
By the mid ’90s, the UK was in the grip of a musical-and-cultural trend dubbed “baggy,” and soccer kits followed suit. Here the England team line up for the Euro ’96 championship in their loose-fitting Le Coq Sportif kit.
By 2000, soccer fashion had almost gone full circle, with David Beckham and his England teammates’ shorts reaching right to the knee.
Manchester United has a history of attracting seriously stylish players, and David Beckham was a dazzling case in point. With his ever-changing haircuts and tattoos, Beckham’s style was widely imitated.
Futuristic fashion was the name of the game in 2015, when UEFA unveiled bold new kits for the Euro 2016 competition at the pioneering Future Arena in Paris, France.
Manchester City put on a colorful display with their away kit for the 2019 Champions League.
Portuguese soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo is another player with star quality on and off the pitch. Powering down the pitch for Juventus in 2021, the shirts prove that stripes never go out of soccer style.
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