The Best Football Kits From the 2021/22 Season

During the 2021/22 season, teams from across Europe will step out in kits inspired by everything from grass snakes and lightning bolts to historic architecture and past triumphs. As always, each kit is designed to tell a story about the club, its team and its hopes for the upcoming season.

With most leagues kicking off in just a few days, brands such as Nike, adidas and PUMA have already revealed kits for the upcoming season. Across all the designs, new details and approaches have taken center stage, whether it’s the optical illusion of Chelsea’s home kit, Manchester United’s modern art-inspired away jersey or the three different patterns of FC Barcelona’s red and blue home shirt.

On the eve of the 2021/22 season, we’ve pulled together 10 of the best kits that will be worn this year.

Inter Milan (H) – Nike

Nike

Inter Milan’s home kit for the upcoming season sees the club’s iconic colors given an eye-catching rework. The blue and black stripes — which give the club its Nerazzurri nickname — have been a fixture for almost all of the club’s history, and in 2021/22 will reference another symbol of the city.

The Biscione snake features prominently on the city of Milan’s crest, and was referenced on Inter Milan’s away kit in the 2010/11 season. For the upcoming year, the classic stripes have been transformed into a snakeskin effect, created using pixelated stripes of royal blue, navy and black. The resulting design is a fitting evolution for one of Europe’s most recognizable kits.

Ajax (H) – adidas

Adidas

Whatever Ajax produces — whether it’s a style of play, talent or kits — they do it with a certain panache. For their 2021/22 adidas home kit, their penchant for style has never been more apparent as it takes things back to basics with its classic red and white. The epitome of less-is-more, the Dutch side retains its colors but this time features a slightly narrower red stripe down the centre of the jersey which houses Ajax’s old club crest which was used between 1928 and 1991. 1970s-inspired adidas striping on the shoulders and a classic crew neck collar rounds things out, with a slightly smaller sponsor situated at the centre.

In-keeping with its traditional vibe, Ajax has also confirmed that domestically it will only play with numbers on the back and no names — although they will make a return in European competition such are UEFA guidelines.

Barcelona (A) – Nike

Nike

F.C. Barcelona’s 22-year partnership alongside Nike continues this season, with a unique away strip that blends the side’s traditional home colors of red and blue to reveal an eye-catching purple colorway.

A pre-amalgamation of blue and red striping is located down the side of each shirt as a nod to the Blaugrana colors, with the main purple colorway also used as a message of women’s empowerment, chosen for its historical ties to the struggle for gender equality.

The theme of the kit is reinforced with “tots units fem força” and “totes unides fem força” — which translate as “together stronger” in both female and male verbal forms — found embossed within the jersey.

Manchester United (H) – adidas

Adidas

adidas Football has revisited the pillars that Manchester United have long stood for: “Youth, Courage and Success.” This philosophy is subtly engineered within the fabric of United’s new home strip, which features the club’s iconic red colorway with white collar linings that hark back to the shirts worn by the Busby Babes.

Another highlight, if you choose to see it in that way, is the kits new sponsor — German tech-company, Team Viewer — which has replaced the wildly unpopular Chevrolet logo which adorned the shirt for the past six years. Topping off the new strip is the aforementioned three pillars on the inside collar, along with a gold red devil to accompany the neck — the first time it has appeared there in the club’s history.

Liverpool (A) – Nike

Nike

When designing Liverpool’s upcoming away kit, Nike looked to a cult classic from the club’s archive. The resulting design — which sports a “Stone White” base alongside hits of dark green and crimson red — is a nod to the jersey worn throughout the 1996/97 season, which is now widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s best ever kits.

The symbolism goes deeper than that, though. The color chosen as the base is inspired by the “Three Graces,” a trio of historic buildings that stand proudly on Liverpool’s waterfront and make up part of its famed skyline.

Real Madrid (H) – adidas

Adidas

Real Madrid look to reclaim their La Liga title from city rivals, Atletico Madrid in a stylish new home kit by adidas Football. A subtle but rhythmic spiral pattern is seen throughout the white base of the shirt, reflecting the fountains of the Plaza de Cibeles — an area of Madrid synonymous with supporters of the Galacticos.

The club reiterates that the “grandeza” or “greatness” of the club has always come from the community that stands behind the team — win or lose. To complement the base of the shirt, the kit returns to the club’s use of “Lucky Orange” and “High-Res Blue,” which can be found in the sponsor and collar, to adidas’ iconic three stripes.

Paris Saint-Germain (A) – Nike

Nike

PSG fans are on an all-time high with the recent acquisition of Lionel Messi. Despite shedding the club’s iconic hechter stripe on the home kit, the away jersey returns to a familiar look, featuring the Swoosh instead of the Jumpman logo, along with a white base accented by a split pink-and-black colorway that is featured in the center stripe and the corresponding sleeve cuffs.

The inspiration for the design comes from the architecture of Paris, along with the slang term “Paname” that is used in the suburbs throughout the city. The kit also continues Nike’s promise towards sustainability by creating the kit using 100 percent recycled polyester.

Venezia (H) – Kappa

Kappa

Venezia F.C.’s home jersey for the 2021/22 campaign is arguably this season’s standout kit. Teaming up with Italian sportswear aficionados Kappa and New York-based creative studio Fly Nowhere, the trio have drawn on traditional Venetian details and iconography to showcase a strip worthy of Serie A.

Marking Venezia F.C’s first top flight campaign in almost two decades — a rise that’s seen them go from Serie D to Serie A in just five years — the home shirt shows a printed trompe l’oeil Venetian wall texture on its black base, accompanied by pops of gold, inspired by the historical significance of the color in Venetian art.

A V-shape is formed at the heart of the jersey with the gold stars of the legendary Basilica di San Marco, as orange and green come together further up alongside accented collar and sleeves.

Olympique Lyon (A) – adidas

Adidas

Olympique Lyon’s 2021/22 away jersey by adidas is, in our humble opinion, simply outstanding. Reverting away from the stealthy black away strip of 2020/21, the French side has instead opted for an all-over sleeker look in the form of a subtle red camo which dorns the entire jersey. Accompanied by navy piping and cuffs, as well as matching adidas stripes down the shoulders, the shirt is completed with contrasting white sponsors in the form of Emirates and adidas and a neat two-toned collar atop the iconic club crest.

AC Milan (A) – PUMA

Puma

Inter isn’t the only Milanese club to make the list. Their rivals in the Curva Sud have equally shown iconic kits that have stood the test of time. For the 2021/2022 season, AC Milan’s away kit honors its charity, Fondazione Milan, which can be found printed on the back collar of the shirt.

A kit with an elegant cream base, complemented by the Rossoneri’s red accents and a subtle all-over pattern engineered in the fabric that references the six global cities that will work together on a charitable campaign starting in September. The list of cities includes New York and Rio de Janeiro to Kolkata, Melbourne and of course, Milan.

The Milan away kit is made from 100% recycled polyester using PUMA’s slim-fitting dryCELL technology and is certainly an elegant edition that reflects the city’s ethos as a fashion capital of the world.