Soccer's best kits of 2025-26: The most stylish jerseys you probably missed

While the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and all of the Premier League big hitters have their new kits released on a wave of hype, they make up just a small percentage of the soccer jerseys on sale each season. For every European heavyweight's flashy, expensive launch campaign, there are hundreds of smaller clubs world who have put just as much effort and ingenuity into their new kit concepts and designs for a much smaller audience. So after casting a discerning eye over the various home, away and third shirts released for the 2026-27 season, we feel it our sworn duty to help showcase some of the finest, most brilliant and super-stylish concepts that have been rolled out by clubs at all levels of the game over the past couple of months. - Soccer's wildest warmup kits: The good, the bad and the ugly - A kit fit for the GOAT: Messi's special kit for Argentina farewell - Premier League 2026-27 kits: Ranking every jersey released Here, in alphabetical order, is our considered pick of some of the best football kits that you might not have had the pleasure of seeing until now. Ajax away (Adidas) Dutch giants Ajax have added yet another beauty to their ever-increasing catalogue of handsome alternative kits. Predominantly black and burnished gold, this shirt also features an elaborate light grey graphic incorporating outlined images of nine of the club's most significant historic achievements; from their four European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles to winning their 30th Eredivisie shield in 2011. Angers away (Nike) Exquisite silver-on-silver design from the Ligue 1 side who have used a cool, retro Total 90 template to create a rather special away kit akin to a suit of gleaming futuristic titanium armor. Atalanta away (New Balance) This season sees the return of a classic for Atalanta, who have successfully resurrected their glorious white away kit of the late 1980s and early '90s. The modern incarnation retains the zigzag graphic of the original, but reapplies it across the chest with a touch of added contemporary panache. Celta Vigo third (Hummel) Celta have traipsed back through their archives in search of inspiration and settled on a gorgeous red diamond pattern inspired by their cult classic 1995-96 "harlequin print" away kit. While still positively oozing with retro appeal, the modern take is even sweeter. Como home (Adidas) Como are very much the new kids on the block in the Serie A style stakes, and this season they will be bringing their elegant aesthetic to the Champions League. In essence, the home jersey is a classic polo-style design in blue which mirrors the color of the water of the famous Lake Como. The lines are incredibly clean and the red, white and gold tricolore trim ices the cake perfectly. FC Basel third (Macron) Basel seem to swing wildly between the sublime and the ridiculous when it comes to kit designs, but thankfully the Swiss club's 2026-27 third kit is firmly in the former category. The navy ensemble is an amalgam of several of their historic uniforms with the large fold-over collar, subtle pinstriping and delicate jacquard textures all combining to create a refined aesthetic. However, the real star of the show is that ultra cool "whiteout" FCB crest. Flamengo third (Adidas) Harking all the way back to Flamengo's original formation as a Rio de Janeiro rowing club in the late 19th Century, the Brazilian side's new third kit is awash with maritime references, most notably the special "oars and anchor" rowing crest that adorns the chest. That same emblem can also be found repeated in the wave pattern that ripples across the entire shirt. Genoa away (Kappa) Another kit drawing inspiration from the 19th century, Genoa's pristine new away kit is a love letter to their beginnings as a football and cricket club in 1893. Italy's oldest existing football team have marked that fact with a light cream jersey that resembles the uniforms initially worn by their players before they first adopted their now-familiar Rossoblù (red and blue) half-and-half shirts in 1901. Those colors are referenced in the club crest, kit sponsor logo and sleeve cuffs in a wonderful bit of detailing. Grimsby Town away (Lotto) In what might just be the most brazen "homage" of all time, Grimsby have lifted their new away kit directly from mid-'90s AC Milan, replicating the Rossoneri's all-time classic blue-grey and red geometric design in an almost perfect shot-for-shot recreation. Thankfully, Lotto were also responsible for producing those iconic Milan jerseys back in the day, so the Mariners are unlikely to fall foul of any potential plagiarism issues. Leicester City away (Adidas) It might coincide with the former Premier League champions' relegation down to the third tier of English football, but the Foxes will at least look glorious on the road in League One this season. Their away kit is inspired by medieval King Richard III (whose remains were famously found beneath a carpark in the city) and comes with royal burgundy flocking and the same lovely retro fox crest worn by the club during the 1980s. Lyon third (Adidas) A strong contender for the grooviest football shirt released this season, Lyon paid tribute to their home city's reputation as the hotbed of the French funk music scene by plying their third shirt with psychedelic waves and trippy trim. There is also a repeating circular graphic embossed within the fabric that resembles vinyl records, just to really cement the funky aesthetic. Monaco third (Mizuno) Mizuno have made some delightful kits for Monaco in recent years, and the 2026-27 third shirt is no exception. The base color is white, which is then overlaid with a sumptuous minty green graphic that is intended to reflect the sparkling turquoise waters of the natural pools that speckle the picturesque Monegasque coast. It almost brings vibes of a long, hot summer spent idling on the French Riviera. Os Belenenses home (Hummel) One of the oldest sporting clubs in Portugal, Belenenses have gone all the way back to the beginning and drummed up a delightful retro home kit. As well as featuring their classic royal blue club colors and red cross crest, it also carries a mosaic graphic pattern made up of miniature tiles detailing individual elements of their own history and local culture, architecture and identity -- from sailing ships to cathedrals. Sheffield Wednesday away (Umbro) It's tough to pick a winner between Sheffield Wednesday's new retro home and away kits, but we think the lean and lovely yellow and black away jersey just about pips it. Umbro have reprised and modernized their designs from the 1992-93 season, which were the last they provided for the Owls before Puma stepped in for the decade that followed. Strasbourg away (Adidas) Another strong contender for kit of the year, Strasbourg's away shirt is once again a deliberate recreation of a retro classic. Nostalgia aside, the reworking is a vast improvement on the 1994-96 original, with extra light blue hues helping to create a more delicate diamond pattern which works wonderfully well to frame the oval-shaped heritage RCS crest, which was first worn by the club between 1920 and 1945. SV Wehen Wiesbaden away (Errea) German third-tier outfit Wiesbaden are punching well above their weight here. Their away kit is adorned with the famed art nouveau stylings of their home city, which boasts a plethora of ornately decorated buildings, municipal halls, galleries and museums. The result is a lush, verdant green jersey which is festooned with ornate floral motifs and highlighted with lovely bronze flecks here and there. TSV Eintracht Braunschweig third (Umbro) Using the slate grey shield of the Braunschweig coat of arms as a jumping-off point, the German second-tier side have concocted a smart kit that looks like it has been plucked straight out of the 1980s. The tonal muted greys are nicely balanced and allow the pops of color on the crest and trim to stand out. Venezia home (Nocta) One of an increasing number of clubs who have turned to fashion and streetwear labels to help create their kits, this season's offerings from Venezia are the third produced by Nike's Drake-affiliated brand Nocta. They might also be the best yet, with the diagonally split orange and green bar across the midriff of the home shirt providing a particularly cool "billboard" for the sponsor logo. VfB Stuttgart away, Europe (Jako) To coincide with their return to the Champions League, Stuttgart have revived one of the most symbolic kits to feature in their European history. Indeed, the red shirt worn during a UEFA Cup first-round game against Banyasz Tatabanya back in 1988 is an artefact of Europe's history, in a way. Several hundred intrepid Stuttgart fans made the trip from the former West Germany behind the Iron Curtain to Hungary to watch their side lose 2-1 on the night, only to advance to the second round on aggregate. The German club decided to reward their raucous travelling support by doling out all of the players' match-worn kit among the away section after the final whistle. Stuttgart then battled to the 1988-89 UEFA Cup final, only to narrowly lose out against Diego Maradona's Napoli over two legs. After being given away to fans, the "Tatabanya" kit was never worn again -- but almost 40 years later, the same red lozenge pattern has been resurrected to help instill the same resilience on Stuttgart's latest continental quest. A mini-history lesson, and also a work of true retro brilliance.