The 25 Ugliest Soccer Kits of All Time

Rainbows, electric neon, and tassles are just a few aspects of the ugliest jerseys in soccer history.

Aug 08, 2014
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World soccer is loaded with teams across all nations that thrive on tradition. They take great pride in their histories, and stick close to all the old ways that got them there. Chief among these traditions are the look of the team, and the uniforms that come along with it.

For many teams, their uniforms are a part of who they are. Chelsea is known as the Blues, Manchester United is the Red Devils, and Real Madrid is the Whites. The jerseys are how people identify the team, and because of this they don’t often try anything too wild with their kits.

But not every team is so bound by the constraints of tradition.

Some teams are beholden to the times, going with styles that any clear-thinking person realizes won’t hold up through the years. Or, in an attempt to grab fan attention or pay homage to someone/something, they decide to redesign their kits in completely absurd ways.

Tie dye, polka dots, and even vegetables get involved. There have been plenty of bad uniforms, but these are the 25 Ugliest Soccer Kits of All Time.

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25. Juventus

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Year: 2011-12
Brand: Nike
League: Serie A

Nike has more money than pretty much anybody, but apparently not enough to pay a graphic designer who knows that men’s athletic teams don’t usually wear pink. And don’t sleep on the massive star either, which likewise makes this kit look thoroughly preposterous.

24. Scunthorpe United

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Year: 1994-95
Brand: Matchwinner
League: English Division 3

“Pleasure Island” indeed, Scunthorpe United. These beauties (sponsored by a nearby amusement park) bear the randomly-colored checks that filled so many 90s jerseys, but have the added bonus of seamlessly flowing right into the shorts as well. That pushes them over the top.

23. Lokomotiv Moscow

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Year: 2007-08
Brand: adidas
League: Russian Premier League

We’re not personal stylists by any stretch, but we can say with authority that neon green and red do not in any way, shape, or form go together. This strange color clash looks like a normal red jersey went on “Figure It Out” and got slimed.

22. San Jose Clash

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Year: 1996

Brand: Nike

League: Major League Soccer

It seems rather fitting that the team chosen to wear uniforms that contain no matching colors whatsoever would be called the Clash. Not only did the uniforms barely last, neither did the name; they became the Earthquakes in 2000, burying their unfortunate kit forever.

21. La Hoya Lorca

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Year: 2013-14
Brand: Daen
League: Segunda Division B

The No. 1 crop in La Hoya, Spain is broccoli. So what does the local team do? Design kits that look like broccoli, of course! Because why wouldn’t you want to look like a vegetable that many people despise above all others?

20. Barcelona

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Year: 1996-97
Brand: Kappa
League: La Liga

You’d think a world superpower would avoid green-lighting a jersey this hideous, but the 1990s were a weird time. Polygons and turquoise were in, and Barca made sure we got plenty of both. Kappa also decided to drape their logo all over the jersey, and also added a wildly-popular polyester collar too. No wonder Ronaldo left after just one season.

19. VFL Bochum

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Year: 1997-98

Brand: Faber

League: German Bundesliga

Rainbow jerseys never work. Ever. Teams need to stop trying to make it happen. It’s not going to be a thing. Ever.

18. Cultural Leonesa

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Year: 2014-15
Brand: Hummel
League: Segunda Division B

Honestly, we can’t believe it took someone this long to work the famed “tuxedo tee” into their kit rotation. However, that’s not to say that we think this is a good look at all. If anything, they should have to play with real bowties.

17. Bury FC

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Year: 1992-93
Brand: Matchwinner
League: English Division 2

Looking like a Charlotte Hornets jersey adorned with confetti, Bury introduced these putrid aquamarine numbers in the early 1990s. There’s something funny about the fact that their sponsor was “Birthdays,” and at the very least it would explain the confetti.

16. Derby County

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Year: 1949-50
Brand: Unknown
League: English Division 1

Derby County: fashion innovators. Decades upon decades before the v-neck became a fashion statement around the globe, the Rams pioneered the plunging neckline. Looking more like pirates than footballers, competing for all manner of trophies around the league.

15. Kansas City Wiz

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Year: 1996
Brand: adidas
League: Major League Soccer

While pretty much every single early MLS jersey was an abomination, the rainbow of the Kansas City Wiz is perhaps the greatest offender. It’s no wonder that the next year they changed their team name from “Wiz” to “Wizards” and abandoned this silly look.

14. Recreativo

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Year: 2013-14
Brand: Hummel
League: Segunda Division

Polka dots haven’t been popular for a while, but that didn’t stop Recreativo from trying to bring them back. These Mini Mouse-esque jerseys look about as horrible as the team has played, having not finished above 8th place in the Spanish Second Division in the last five years.

13. Norway

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Year: 1997-98
Brand: Umbro
League: World Cup Qualifiers

The font on Norway’s jerseys here looks like that WordArt every single teacher you’ve ever had has told you not to use. Underrated is the TV static-like pattern on the arms, too.

12. Huddersfield Town

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Year: 1991-92
Brand: Gola
League: English Division 3

Celebrity super fan Sir Patrick Stewart could not have enjoyed these Huddersfield Town’s jerseys, which look like a very strange tie dye blend. They also have distractingly long sleeves, which would normally distract us if not for the above handsome gentleman’s teeth.

11. Dundee United

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Year: 1993-94
Brand: Pony
League: Scottish Premier League

Well, this is one way to stand out in the Scottish League. What kind of weird abstract design is this supposed to be, exactly? No wonder this season put them on the path to relegation just two years later.

10. Manchester United

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Year: 1992-93
Brand: Umbro
League: English Premier League

In Manchester United’s defense, tie dye was super “in” during the early 1990s, as were oversized logos. So from that perspective, we get it. But you’re one of the world’s iconic clubs, a trendsetter in the global game. You can’t be putting your name on something this ridiculous. Leave that to the Stoke Cities of the world.

9. Atletico Bilbao

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Year: 2004-05
Brand: 100% Athletic
League: La Liga

Is that ketchup or blood? Or neither? The fact that we even have to ask (or that either is a possibility) is probably not a good sign for these Atletico Bilbao kits, which look like something a four-year-old may have designed. Come to think of it, maybe they are just fingerpaintings.

8. Mexico (GK Kit)

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Year: 1994
Brand: Umbro
League: World Cup

This is what happens when you let your goalkeeper design his own kit. Jorge Campos’ bizarre blend of waves and shades of neon are dizzying to behold, and this kit pictured here is one of several different ones he wore during the 1994 World Cup.

7. 1860 Munich

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Year: 2009-10
Brand: Erima
League: 2nd Bundesliga

Not only is this ridiculous looking “150th anniversary tribute” jersey ugly on its own, but it has the added bonus of being reversible. That’s right, 1860 Munich was so cheap that they decided not to bother making two separate kits, and opted to go for the twice-as-heavy number instead. Good thinking.

6. Coventry City

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Year: 1977-78
Brand: Admiral
League: English Division 1

Any time you can take a team nicknamed the “Sky Blues” and instead make them look like walking sticks of feces, you have to do it. At least, that’s what we assume Coventry was thinking here with these kits.

5. Cameroon

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Year: 2004
Brand: Puma
League: Africa Cup of Nations

The colors here are fine, but there’s one problem: the shorts and shirt are attached. Yes, for the 2004 African Cup of Nations Cameroon was forced by Puma to wear singlets for the tournament. How did they get into these things? Climb through the neck hole? We can just see them in the locker room now, zipping each other into their uniforms just moments before kickoff.

4. England (GK Kit)

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Year: 1996
Brand: Umbro
League: European Championship

It was probably hard enough growing up with the name David Seaman. We don’t even need to go there. But this ridiculous, Technicolor ensemble could not have helped the goalkeeper’s reputation with his fellow players or among fans. Just…yikes.

3. Bolivia

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Year: 1930
Brand: Unknown
League: World Cup

It’s kind of weird for one team to make their jerseys a tribute to one of their opponents, but that’s exactly what Bolivia did as they saluted Uruguay, the hosts of the inaugural World Cup. They lost both of their matches 4-0, and were eliminated. Maybe they should have worn shirts that said “VIVA BOLIVIA” instead?

2. Hull

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Year: 1992-93
Brand: Matchwinner
League: English Division 2

Ah, the Tigers. What’s really impressive about this striped monstrosity is that it actually lasted for three seasons before the powers that be decided to revert to something a little more traditional. Hey, you have to salute them for sticking to their guns.

1. Colorado Caribous

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Year: 1978
Brand: Medalist Sand-Knit
League: North American Soccer League

Ever wonder why it has taken so long for America to embrace soccer? It’s a miracle these uniforms from the Colorado Caribous didn’t get the sport abolished in this country all together. Tassles? Like, seriously?

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