Ranking the Best 10 Kits in World Football for the 2026-27 Season

Forget the transfer window, the most exciting part of the summer is that a ton of new football kits drop across the world.

We've scoured the globe for the best. From simple bangers to designs that do things a little bit differently, it's once again looking like a strong year where fashion and functionality takes centre stage.

Time to get your wallet out.

10. SL Benfica Third Kit

There's so much nostalgia in kits these days, but what about the future? 

Benfica's third kit celebrates exactly that, with a pretty out-there spray-paint design that nods to the club's brilliant academy and future stars.

Third kits should be experimental and bolder than the pair most often worn during matches. Benfica's splash of pink on a black canvas adds life to the club's classic home and away offerings, which tend to stay similar each season.

9. Nottingham Forest Away Kit

Clean. Nottingham Forest's away kit for the upcoming campaign is clean. 

This is classic Adidas, whose three-stripe design can look striking without needing to do much else - particularly when there's a snap of colour around the sleeves. The textured green base clearly links to the club's famous name, but it's that nod to the home kit's red that brings it together.

Adidas designs usually come in various colourways if you look across the breadth of world football clubs. It's worth checking out Sevilla's if you like this design but want to see an alt version with a collar.

8. Internacional Third Kit

A super limited (and expensive) release that features a huge dragon on it? 

Rare shirt collectors will be all over Internacional's design celebrating 20 years since they beat Barcelona to win the FIFA Club World Cup.

Funnily, such a brash shirt also features a subtle detail to further pay homage to that victory in Japan, with coordinates nestled on the collar that point to the Yokohama stadium which hosted that special night.

7. Arsenal Away Kit

If these colours look familiar, it's because Adidas know exactly what they're doing. 

Arsenal's new away shirt is the reverse of the famous 'bruised banana,' a '90s special that has grown into a beloved retro design over the years. 

If you threw the idea of blue, yellow and red into the ether, it's likely it would conjure up a pretty ugly image in your mind. Somehow, the Premier League champions' new design is anything but.

6. AFC Ajax Away Kit

Another year, another Ajax kit included in a Top 10. 

The Dutch side are the masters of this game, barely changing their iconic home shirt design, but bringing flair and culture to their away and third kit offerings. Ajax's recent shirts have been so nice that it's not uncommon to see them out in the wild, get excited, and point while saying, 'Oh, they've got an Ajax shirt on!'

Here we are again. This year's away kit is dedicated to the club's history, with a black and orange colour scheme, plus an accented texture that remembers legendary players and trophy wins.

5. FC Augsburg Home Kit

This marble design should stop Augsburg players from taking it easy for fear of being labeled a statue on the pitch.

Mizuno's kit classily remembers the city's Roman heritage, with dark green, red and gold adding a pop of colour to the marble base. 

Roman-style lettering adds the finishing touch when the German club are in action, especially with the red stripes down the side then being reinforced with the red shorts. Lovely.

4. FC Köln Third Kit

Adidas have taken over duties on Köln's kits this season, so it's no surprise they've pushed the design of the third kit.

The Bundesliga side will don a sweeping paintbrush effect that curves through the team and manufacturer badges, dominating a design that would look smart without any flourishes. Very nice - and a sign of things to come when Adidas get rolling with a new addition to their lineup.

3. Sunderland Home Kit

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Nilson Angulo

If you're not aware of Hummel's game, it's time to educate yourself. 

We live in a world where Nike and Adidas can dominate due to the clubs they work with, but just take a look at this design, inspired by Sunderland's FA Cup triumph in 1937. Ye olde stripes that continue on the collar? You're spoiling us.

Add in the encased modern crest, and a traditional city design from the year of the trophy win, and you've got something special going on. Let's just hope no sponsor is plastered over it.

2. FC Barcelona Away Kit

A possible marmite situation here: but umbra purple and black, with the Kobe Bryant collab, is a pretty unique style for Barcelona supporters to enjoy this season.

The iridescent logos do a lot of the work here; a literal combo of Barca and LA Lakers, acting as a salute to the Black Mamba's legacy. 

Kobe's famous quote, "Leave the game better than you found it," also sits inside the collar, making this a beautiful and visually striking tribute to a man who was not only a sporting great, but a fashion great, too.

1. Olympique Lyonnais Third Kit

A kit inspired by funk music?!

Lyon have gone there with this year's third offering, which takes inspiration from the city's important place in funk music history, including references to vinyl records and splashes of colour that you'd see on a '70s dancefloor. 

The multicoloured Adidas logo is also a striking addition to a design that underlines the important assessment that more football shirts need to be inspired by slapping basslines.