EURO 2024 Soccer Jerseys
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
Great soccer jerseys can leave a lasting impression in one's memory, sometimes even more so than the team's actual performance. Some of the most iconic Euro soccer shirts have been worn by teams that ultimately did not succeed, while the winning team's kits are often forgotten shortly after lifting the trophy.
When Scotland played at Euro 96 in England, being close to home didn’t help them get past the group stages. They lost to England, their fierce rivals, at Wembley, but their understated tartan Umbro kit turned out to be a winner – its dark navy blues, royal purples and striking yellow detailing making it a prize piece of memorabilia.
Euro 96 was also the Croatian national team’s debut. They made a dazzling first impression, reaching the quarter-finals in style with their red and white checkered soccer shirts featuring the Lotto badge and the Croatian team crest.
But what about this past tournament? Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of Euro 2024.
The best and worst Euro soccer shirts in 2024
We know it’s difficult to come up with great designs all the time, especially when the home and away kits have to be noticeably different and easily identifiable. It’s hit-and-miss. Here are our top-three favorites and the three major duds from Euro 2024.
Germany away
The Germany team always looks smart and their away kit for Euro 2024 was no exception. The team’s usual green away colors made way for a stunning bright pink fading to purple with a spiked pattern – the last design for the team by Adidas after a 70 year partnership.
England home
England’s latest strip was largely standard design. But Nike’s 'playful update' to the St George's cross on the back of its collar, with red, blue and purple colors, caused quite a stir with traditionalists. Expect this kit to be a future cult classic.
Netherlands home
The Netherlands home shirt in 2024 was a massive improvement on their washed out 2023 look with a return to the team’s iconic orange of the Dutch national colors with a ribbed weave and smart dark blue collars and cuffs.
Netherlands away
The Dutch didn’t fare so well though with the Netherlands away kit by Nike, which was a dark blue with only hints of the orange arranged in clashing patterns that don’t match the class of the home kit.
France home
Before the Euros, the French team was looking dapper in its dark blue kit, but something went wrong. They returned to their traditional royal blue in an attempt by Nike to give them a modern retro look, but instead, it harked back to the 1960s in a bad way.
Turkey home and away
Nike went for an oversimplified two-tone look for Turkey’s home and away kits in the reds and whites of the national team’s colors that just didn’t impress. It was like the designers had run out of ideas.
EURO shirts, club kits and World Cup soccer jerseys in fashion
Sportswear brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma have made names for themselves on and off the pitch with increasingly adventurous designs that are always talking points among fans ahead of the games. Soccer shirts are a source of national pride and proudly worn by supporters during the games, but they’ve also become streetwear brands appealing to more than just hardcore fans traveling to support their teams at matches.
Nike collaborated with streetwear brand Off-White to create a stunning collection released to coincide with the first day of the 2018 World Cup. The collection included track jackets, shorts, and socks plus special limited-edition garb to celebrate the occasion.
Adidas got really creative in 2020 by teaming up with musician and designer Pharrell Williams and Humanity clothing brand to create a collection of soccer jerseys in dazzling colors and bold patterns inspired by iconic kits for Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. Adidas’ apparel deal with Manchester United was worth a record-breaking £900 million (US$1.2 billion).
In 2014, Adidas created a Real Madrid third kit in collaboration with award-winning Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. The result was a striking all-black kit incorporating Eastern-style dragons and birds to represent power and resistance as well as Madrid's values of greatness and determination.
More than just a soccer jersey
Soccer fans are no strangers to controversy. But while the big talking points usually involve in-game play, some of the latest kit designs have hit headlines for breaking with tradition.
Germany’s vibrant pink kit by Adidas for the 2024 Euro Cup was met with a divided response among fans, some of whom mockingly nicknamed it the ‘Barbie Kit’, and bemoaned the lack of any elements of the red and black in Germany’s national flag. The design aimed to symbolize diversity and Adidas knew they’d get some backlash because of it. And while many traditionalists hated it, younger fans loved the new look. It went on to become the fastest-selling away shirt in the team’s history.
Germany’s latest kit is undoubtedly a collector’s item and is set to join the ranks of other iconic kits through the ages, including vintages like the bold red England away soccer shirt for Euro 2004 or the gray striped and green trim Germany away soccer shirt for Euro 2016 in France.
While Spain were the winners of Euro 2024, their Adidas strip with its modern take on the classic red was just one of many European soccer shirts that broke new ground while still being faithful to tradition. Poland’s eagle and Nike’s swoosh look great together on the white and red shirts, and so do the red and green of Nike’s tribute to Portugal’s national colors. Adidas has come out on top this year too with Belgium's Red Devils strip of team college burgundy with gold.
As Euro 2024 demonstrated, designs are becoming ever-more inventive. Let’s see how World Cup shirts in 2026 will take the fashion of the beautiful game to a whole new level.
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