8 rarest football shirts in the history of football

There are equipments that did not go down in history because of their sporting merits, but because of the unusual design. Aztec patterns, ketchup splashes, a beer print or the anatomy of the human body? Everything is possible when designers feel daring.

Fiorentina, Caribous of Colorado, C.D. Palencia, Athletic Bilbao and the national teams of Mexico, England and Jamaica have all worn some of the rarest football shirts.

Although design does not influence sports titles, it does have a significant influence on the perception of the club by fans. It's impossible to talk about Zidane's France without remembering that navy blue outfit with the unmistakable horizontal red stripe.

The same goes for Gary Lineker's England (1990), Gabriel Batistuta's Fiorentina (1993) or Jorge Campos's Mexico (1998), which left their mark on history because of their peculiar design, never seen before.

It can't be! These weird football shirts won't leave you indifferent

Do you think a great record is all the teams need to go down in history? That's not true! A particularly eye-catching outfit can help a particular eleven (despite their title drought) become the Olympians of the world of football.

In the following lines you will discover a list of rare, daring and (sometimes) grotesque football equipment. Are you going to miss them?

Fiorentina, 1992-1993

The 1992-1993 season was not the brightest for Fiorentina. They finished 15th in Serie A and suffered a heavy 7-3 loss to Milan in the UEFA Champions League.

However, he wore one of the rarest football shirts in living memory, generating love and hatred in equal parts among fans. But how was your design?

Gabriel Batistuta, Brian Laudrup, Dunga and Stefan Effenberg paraded across the pitch wearing a white shirt from waist to chest, with Seven Up advertising; but the long sleeves and the rest of the torso were violet with a geometric pattern with black stripes.

As the most critical voices indicated, this design was unfortunate for its references to the Swastika adopted by National Socialist Germany (it is possible to see these symbols on the shoulders, for example).

England, 1990-1992

One of the rarest football teams stood out at the 1992 European Championship in Sweden. Gary Lineker, Alan Smith and Mark Wright's England were the first to wear clothing that left no one indifferent.

His design had a geometric pattern in sky blue and white, with black and white decorative motifs on the sleeves and other unusual details.

For fans who are tired of the typical white design of the English team, the 1992 outfit will pleasantly surprise them. Were it not for England's coat of arms, it would be difficult to recognise this side in such unusual clothing.

C.D. Palencia, 2006-2007

During the Playoffs of the 2006-2007 season, the contenders said they would leave their skin on the ground to do so. But only C.D. Palencia did it literally.

The Castilian-Leonese club launched an outfit with the design of the anatomy of the human body, which unleashed all kinds of criticism, despite its short lifespan.

The T-shirt, trousers and stockings represented pectorals, abdominals, triceps and other anatomical parts. This is why it is considered one of the rarest football equipment.

Mexico, 1998

Jorge Campos, Jesús Arellano, Raúl Lara and other Mexican stars will not be remembered for having lifted the World Cup, but for having worn one of the most unusual outfits in living memory.

During the World Cup of France '98, the Mexican team wore Aztec-inspired clothing, considered one of the most beautiful in the history of the World Cup.

His shirt and shorts had the typical green and white of the tricolor of Mexico, but on his torso appeared a print with shapes and motifs based on Aztec culture.

Athletic de Bilbao, 2004-2005

But the cream of the rarest football shirts can be found at Athletic Bilbao, one of the clubs with the longest history in the Spanish First Division.

During the 2004-2005 season, the Athletic Club of Llorente, Del Horno and Etxeberria surprised Europe with a grotesque outfit, remembered as 'kétchup' by fans.

The trousers and socks had the colors typical of the Bilbao team, but the shirt had a design that resembled squirts of tomato sauce on white.

Created by the artist Darío Urzay, this jersey was only worn during a friendly match, due to the strong pressure exerted by the fans.

Caribous of Colorado, 1978-1979

But not only the A Series, the Premier League and La Liga have been overshadowed by creative and more or less successful designs.

In the NASL (North American Soccer League), the Caribous of Colorado wore one of the most original jerseys in football history. During the 1978-1979 season, the design used sought to reflect the values and iconography of the American West.

The result was the use of brown, toasted and black, with leather parts and a fringe front finish, at the purest far west.

C.D. Lugo, 2014-2015

Another rare football team that will be difficult to forget is found in the history of C.D. Lugo. 

Its main sponsor was the popular beer brand Estrella Galicia, which partly explains the bold design of the 2014-2015 season: a t-shirt with a sparkling beer print with black sleeves.

As an anecdote, we will point out that Estrella Galicia gave away a batch of beers to the new subscribers during that season, perhaps as a sign of gratitude for this promotional clothing.

Jamaica, 1998

On the occasion of the World Cup of France '98, the Reggae Boyz surprised with one of the most colorful and transgressor teams that are remembered.

Theodore Whitmore, Frank Sinclair, Ricardo Gardner and other Jamaican stars made it to the second round. But the most remembered of his performance will not be his sporting achievements, but his yellow shirt with black trousers, both crossed by a tricolor strip (green, yellow and black).

Kappa was the maker of one of those rare football outfits left to remember.