It may be one year later than planned, but Euro 2020 is finally here! Just like all football fans the world over, we simply cannot wait to see which country emerges victorious in the ultimate showdown: by which, of course, we mean the battle to be crowned the team with the best kits in the competition.
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Below we have compiled each kit registered by every nation at Euro 2020 and ranked them all the way from the group stage to the final. Following UEFA’s own tournament format, the group winners and runners-up will advance along with the four best third-placed teams, and then it’s a straight knockout tournament.
Jump to: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final ranking
GROUP A
Home: Turkey don’t tend to experiment much when it comes to their kits, with their Euro 2020 ensemble following a familiar template. The home shirt is white with a red band across the midriff that bears the iconic crescent moon and star emblem found on the national flag. One very subtle change from previous designs sees the size of crescent and star increased in a bid to, according to Nike, “capture the incredible passion for football in Turkey.”
Away: Rather than simply flipping the colours, the Turkey away shirt is two-tone red with a slightly darker shade to the collar and the chest band. The moon-and-star emblem, which dates back to the days of the Ottoman Empire, is again present. Both jerseys have the phrase “Turkiyem” (“My Turkey”) printed on the inside.
Home: Italy have leant heavily on their artistic and cultural heritage for their kits, with Puma’s design for the blue home shirt inspired by the traditional mosaics and architecture of the Renaissance period. The Azzurri‘s jersey features a delicate, floral tile motif similar to those you might find adorning the walls of the nation’s opera houses, galleries and 15th-century cathedrals.
Away: That theme continues on the away shirt too, with the white base embellished by an ornate chevron pattern once again inspired by the “culture-defining era of art and architecture” from the 14th to 17th centuries.
Italy also wore a third alternate shirt during their qualification campaign, a gloriously opulent deep bottle green-and-gold design. It’s only the second time in their history that the Italian national team have worn green, after the Azzurri transformed into the Verdi for a friendly against Argentina in 1954. Alas, their emerald third shirt won’t actually be used at Euro 2020 due to UEFA directives only allowing country’s to register two strips for the tournament (home and away), but it’s a stunning little number regardless.
Home: Wales’ home kit positively smoulders in the vibrant red and gold found upon the ancestral shield of national hero Owain Glyndwr, who led an uprising against British rule in the 15th century. Plus it’s hard to go wrong when your national flag and crest features a dragon. The only thing that lets the Cymru kit down is that once you strip the trim away, it’s based on a fairly generic V-neck template.
Away: Wales away shirts tend to be one of two colours, white or yellow, and this continues that tradition. Redolent in golden yellow, this jersey also has a subtle two-tone brushstroke pattern and a small daffodil (the national flower) printed on the nape of the neck.
Home: According to Puma, this design applies the minimalist principles of the renowned Swiss style schools of the 1950s. However, the jersey is so stripped back that essentially what we’re left with is a plain red jersey with basic white trim that is fairly boring, whichever way you slice it.
Away: The accompanying away shirt is not any livelier, with Puma assigning Switzerland the most underwhelming iteration of a template that will appear again as we run through the teams here.
Group winner: Italy
Runner-up: Wales
Eliminated: Turkey, Switzerland
GROUP B
Home: Predominantly red with white raglan sleeves, the Denmark home shirt sees the return of the Hummel chevrons running down the shoulders, just as they were when they shocked Europe by winning Euro ’92. There is the subtle addition of a soundwave graphic across the torso, a representation of the Danish fans singing their national anthem at a packed Parken Stadium in support of the team.
Away: The away shirt also features the same soundwave, though as a silvery detail on a white background it is a little harder to spot. The two jerseys are pleasingly clean and uncluttered designs.
Denmark also have a third alternate shirt which is directly inspired by their famous 1986 World Cup kit, still vaunted as one of the most popular football shirts ever designed. The 2021 version takes the half-and-half shirt worn by such luminaries as Michael Laudrup, Allan Simonsen and Jan Molby, and re-renders it in two-tone red. The Danish FA claims the third shirt is a special tribute to their fans, and to that end the phrase “Den Rode Mur” (“The Red Wall”) is written inside the neck to pay homage to the supporters who fill the stands at every game.
Home: The home shirt of the Huuhkajat (eagle owls) is inspired by the Nordic nation’s flag, with a vast blue cross dominating the white behind it. The gold trim is a nice touch, and overall the design is a little more interesting than the procession of near-identical white-with-blue-trim designs that Finland have worn in recent years.
Away: The obvious approach for the away shirt would be to flip the colours, but instead Finland have gone for a button-up polo neck that is almost smart enough to wear to a formal occasion.
Home: The most notable aspect of the latest Belgium shirt is the bold two-tone brush stroke graphic that slashes back and forth across the front to create a stylised letter “B.” We’re going out on a limb here and suggesting that the “B” probably stands for “Belgium,” rather than “Batshuayi” or “Benteke.” It is also the national team’s first shirt to feature the Belgian Football Association logo that was launched in late 2019.
Away: Another chunky V-neck, the white away kit manages to look like both a throwback from the 1980s and a design fitting for the modern era. This is thanks in part to the simple, classy trim being offset by the splotchy two-tone graphic that covers the shirt.
Home: Russia’s home shirt for Euro 2020 had to undergo a hasty redesign in the immediate aftermath of its release in 2019. This was after the Russian Federation complained that the blue-and-white trim on the sleeves wasn’t arranged in the correct order, and the effect therefore resembled the Serbian flag rather than their own. In the run-up to the tournament Russia have continued with their previous home kit, which they wore en route to reaching the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup on home soil, but they now have a modified version of the new kit ready for the big kick-off.
Away: Thankfully, Adidas got the Russian national colours right first time with the away kit, with the white shirt forming the tricolour in conjunction with the blue and red bands across the centre of the design. It’s simple, effective and — for extra patriotism points — reminiscent of the same country’s national ice hockey team’s uniform.
Group winner: Belgium
Runner-up: Denmark
Best third place: Finland
Eliminated: Russia
GROUP C
Home: The Netherlands’ orange home shirt is festooned with a geometric outline of a lion, echoing the emblem of the Dutch football federation (KNVB).. As star defender Virgil van Dijk – who is missing the tournament through injury – puts it: “We need to have the mentality of lions to be successful.” Whether or not it will also cause them to sleep for 20 hours a day remains to be seen.
Away: The Dutch rarely miss the mark when it comes to their away kits and this offering is no different. This slick black-and-orange button-up shirt effortlessly takes its place alongside such classics as 1998 (electric blue), 2006 (the one with the sash), 2008 (pale blue), 2010 (white with red and blue chevrons), and 2014 (white with red-and-blue rhomboids).
Home: Ukraine unveiled their new kit on the weekend before the start of the tournament, and it has caused a diplomatic incident. The jersey is modification of the previous design, with the crest moved into the centre of the chest and surrounded by an embroidered outline of Ukraine which includes the region of Crimea. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow considers the peninsula part of Russia, but it is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. Dmitry Svishchev, a Russian parliamentarian, was quoted by news agency RIA as saying the design was “a political provocation.”
Away: The away jersey is a straight-forward reversal of the home shirt, although the team is yet to play in the re-designed version.
Home: You could easily squint at the Austrian home shirt and mistake it for an old Arsenal kit thanks to the red body and white block sleeves. However, the details do help it stand out, with the print inspired by traditional Alpine dress as well as the Vienna Secession movement of the late 19th century founded by artists such as Gustav Klimt, according to Puma. Finally, a new Austrian FA (OFB) badge adorns the chest — a ten-winged eagle with each wing representing one of the nine regional football league administrations of Austria, along with the Bundesliga itself.
Away: The away kit is moody and mysterious. The dark black shirt has the OFB crest in the centre and then repeated down the rest of the torso in a subtle, faded pattern.
Home: North Macedonia’s kits are so box-fresh that they haven’t even been worn in a match yet. They are preparing to make their debut at a major tournament with a kit inspired by their symbolic spirit animal, the Balkan Lynx. The snarling face of the lynx — which also adorns the country’s currency, the denar — can be seen in the graphic that fills the front of the shirt, with the angular pattern continuing up onto the sleeves.
Away: The big cat is back on the away shirt, this time etched in silvery grey lines on a field of dazzling white, contrasted by golden trim, a colour taken from the Football Federation of Macedonia’s coat of arms.
Manufacturers Jako have also produced a third alternate for North Macedonia. The shirt is black with a bright orange trim, with the ubiquitous lynx hewn in “anthracite” — or “grey” as we used to call it.
Group winner: Netherlands
Runner-up: Austria
Best third place: North Macedonia
Eliminated: Ukraine
GROUP D
Home: Intended to represent the modern England team, Nike says that the home shirt was designed with unity and togetherness in mind. Both the collar and the zig-zag stripes down the flanks of the jersey are embossed with a graphic created to reflect a “community of lions” — players and fans bonded by a shared dream. The Three Lions badge and manufacturers’ logo are also aligned centrally, which is not something you see very often these days.
Away: The vivid blue away shirt has a large fold-down collar, tonal badges, and an abstract geometric graphic made up of jumbled lions. It looks like official casualwear that might have been worn at the team hotel circa 1998, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
Home: Recognising that there is no need to tamper with a classic, Croatia will play in lovely big red-and-white checks for their first major tournament outing since reaching the 2018 World Cup final. The checks reflect the pattern on their national crest, and the shirts also bear the words “Hrvatska Vatreni” (“Croatia Blazers”) on the inside which we are told serve as a metaphorical reflection of inner pride.
Away: The away jersey is a little more street-orientated, with the checks given a stealthy grey overhaul. Rather than a uniform pattern, the blocks are also smaller and distorted slightly to create an urban camouflage effect.
Home: It’s difficult to get a Scotland home shirt wrong, with their signature navy blue usually yielding great results. However, the Euro 2020 home jersey also has what Adidas describes as dark “hand-painted hoops” which make it look like the colours have started to run in the wash.
Away: Thankfully, the away shirt is far more refined, with a light blue lozenge pattern that is somewhat reminiscent of Argentina kits of years gone by.
Home: On first look, we’re dealing with a plain red football shirt here, but on closer inspection you’ll find some nice detail. The design is covered in an angular graphic derived from the Lipa (lime) tree, an ancient symbol of freedom and good fortune in Slavic mythology.
Away: The accompanying away shirt is altogether more simple, an all-white design with thin red and blue accents framing the crest in the centre of the design.
Group winner: England
Runner-up: Croatia
Eliminated: Scotland, Czech Republic
GROUP E
Home: A serviceable jersey but hardly a classic by Spain’s standards, with the red patchwork graphic giving the impression of a particularly aggressive dermatological issue. The scratchy, almost pixelated design is, according to Adidas, a nod to the national flag. The fine detailing also includes the number “1920” printed on the neck in reference to the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) launching their first-ever official shirt.
Away: With a classic white, silver and burnished red design, the away shirt mercifully serves as a soothing balm for the sore sight of the home shirt. In truth, the away kit is nothing special but still, it positively majestic in comparison to Spain’s other kit.
Home: Another design on Adidas’ familiar template, though the oversized collar and cuffs do admittedly look good once daubed in the yellow and blue of the Swedish flag.
Away: Sweden’s away jersey is where the action is, with a taut dark blue-and-yellow pinstripe design working wonders for the Blagult. Adidas says the design “unites class and modernity,” and for once it’s hard to argue with the publicity blurb.
Home: Poland have revived a classic with their home shirt for Euro 2020 after delving back through their footballing history to the nation’s last golden age. With the eagle crest restored to the heart of the design, the shirt takes pointers from the old Poland kits of the 1970s and 80s, an era during which they finished third at two World Cups.
Away: The away kit is, colour-wise, a direct flip of the home. This time, however, the jersey has a V-neck collar and a smaller version of the crest on the back of the neck.
Home: Slovakia usually have white as their home colours, but this time they have put forward this mottled blue design as their principal kit. The jersey’s eye-catching pattern is inspired by Slovakia’s mountainous regions, while a strip bearing traditional folk symbols sits beneath each arm.
Away: Slovakia’s white away shirt is much more tranquil, though the same mystical symbolism is once again prevalent on the underarm strips. Slovakia are one of two teams at the tournament to have kits with both the country’s coat of arms and the crest of the national football federation on the chest.
Group winner: Spain
Runner-up: Slovakia
Best third place: Sweden
Eliminated: Poland
GROUP F
Home: The Magyars shirt is a bold red design with green trim and a spray-paint style graphic which Adidas says is to artistically represent the Danube, the mighty river that flows through the heart of Hungary and much of central Europe. To help top things off, a “Magyarorszag” (the Hungarian word for Hungary) sign-off has also been placed on the back of the neck.
Away: As if to counteract the progressive design flourishes found on the home shirt, there is something pleasingly old-fashioned about Hungary’s away kit. White with big simple blocks of green on the flanks and red trim, this jersey would be right at home in the 1990s.
Home: It seems a long, long time ago now, but Portugal come into this tournament as defending champions after beating hosts France in the Euro 2016 final. The Seleccao have reverted to their classic combination of red shirt and green shorts for the first time since 2004, with the shirt given gold accents to reflect their continental reign. The group-stage draw wasn’t favourable to Portugal, but at least Cristiano Ronaldo and his cohorts will look good.
Away: In stark contrast, the away kit is so bright it almost emits its own luminescence, with a pale teal shirt drawing inspiration from the team’s 2016 away kit. What’s more, the chunky coloured stripes that run horizontally around the shirt are borrowed directly from Portugal’s 2018 training tops, making it something of a real mix of influences that is likely to split opinion sharply.
Home: The France home shirt is permeated with fashionable Gallic flair. Based on the beloved “mariniere” design (the striped sweater originally worn by members of the French Navy), the shirt features delicate blue stripes laid over a darker blue base. It also has a red stripe across the chest in much the same way that Les Bleus famously wore when they beat Brazil in the World Cup final of 1998. Kylian Mbappe & Co. will be hoping to channel the spirit of 1998-2000 by adding European glory to their World Cup triumph.
Away: The away kit is stripped back almost to the bone, with a plain white shirt augmented only with a badge, the Nike tick and two thin pinstripes running down the flank — one red, one blue. Much like the home jersey, the away also carries the motto of the French Republic (“Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite“) inside the collar, which Nike says is written in a special script inspired by typography found among the tomes at the Institute of Book History in Lyon.
Home: Die Mannschaft’s long run of achingly exquisite national-team jerseys continues, giving them at least one constant during this period of transition and on-pitch struggles. The new Germany shirt boasts a hand-painted pinstripe design running horizontally across the body with the national colours of black, red and gold relocated to the sleeves. They rarely get it wrong, if ever.
Away: On that subject, Germany’s new away shirt is a phenomenal piece of work, with a black-out design accentuated by gold-and-red cuff trim to create the image of the national flag. There is an air of luxury about the strip, with black and carbon shades used to create a very refined and subdued palette. However, it must be said that the whole effect is rather undermined by the ice white names and numbers that will adorn it during official matches.
Group winner: Germany
Runner-up: France
Best third place: Portugal
Eliminated: Hungary
ROUND OF 16
1. Wales vs. Denmark
Wales go marching into the last eight thanks to that lovely home shirt and the greater variety in their designs.
2. Italy vs. Austria
In this all-Puma clash, Italy‘s ornate jerseys have more than enough pedigree to brush Austria aside without so much as breaking sweat.
3. Netherlands vs. Sweden
Netherlands‘ strong pairing sees them through as Sweden’s smart away kit can’t compensate for their cookie-cutter template home shirt.
4. Belgium vs. Portugal
A headline clash that pits two of the tournament’s bigger hitters against one another while lesser lights are able to creep through elsewhere. Portugal are sent home by Belgium, as their home shirt is smart but plain and the fluorescent away kit will be divisive.
5. Croatia vs. Slovakia
Slovakia’s unorthodox choice of home jersey will win them some fans, but a meeting with kit heavyweights Croatia ends their spirited run.
6. Germany vs. Finland
With barely a glove laid on them, Germany waltz past plucky debutants Finland and into the final eight.
7. England vs. France
France‘s effortlessly cool kit combo signals an early exit for England, whose own pair of white and blue jerseys pales in comparison.
8. Spain vs. North Macedonia
Spain strained every last fibre in their match-up against unfancied North Macedonia, but the debutants’ naivety showed with their one-note selection.
1:34
Frank Leboeuf and Alejandro Moreno share which kits were their favourites to wear during their careers.
QUARTERFINALS
1. Germany vs. Croatia
What looked like a fascinating match-up on paper quickly becomes a procession, as both of Germany‘s shirts outrank Croatia’s to bring their tournament to a checkered end.
2. Belgium vs. Italy
Belgium’s fashionable ensemble has reached par at the quarterfinals, but their jerseys are no match for Italy‘s timeless designs.
3. Netherlands vs. Wales
Wales threaten to upset the odds, but ultimately Netherlands prevail as their classy polo-shirt away kit tips the balance.
4. Spain vs. France
Spain were lucky to make it this far, and La Roja are consummately dispatched by France and their far more appealing outfits.
SEMIFINALS
1. Italy vs. Germany
Two prestigious titans of the kit world meet in the opening semifinal. This one goes the full distance but, as is so often the way, Germany emerge victorious on penalties.
2. France vs. Netherlands
The flying Dutchmen are brought back to earth as France prove too much for them when it comes to “Le Croque” (the crunch) in another heavyweight clash.
THIRD/FOURTH-PLACE PLAYOFF
Italy vs. Netherlands
Another advantage of our Euro 2020 kit ranking over the real tournament is we get to decide who gets the bronze medal. Netherlands were good value for their run to the semis, but Italy fully justify their place on the podium for their Renaissance-inspired outfits.
FINAL
Germany vs. France
Where 24 once stood, now only two remain as we reach the grand final, pitting the two early favourites against each other.
It’s a score draw as the Gallic French stripes have the home section sewn up while Germany’s super-schwarz shirt is the superior away kit.
But in the final reckoning it’s home shirt of France, possibly the finest at the whole tournament, which lifts them above their excellent opponents to glory!
Final ranking
1. France
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Netherlands
5. Wales
6. Croatia
7. Belgium
8. Spain
9. England
10. Slovakia
11. Denmark
12. Austria
13. Portugal
14. Sweden
15. North Macedonia
16. Finland
17. Hungary
18. Scotland
19. Russia
20. Turkey
21. Poland
22. Ukraine
23. Czech Republic
24. Switzerland