Tom Wiggins picks out some snazzy strips to turn your FIFA 19 team into trend-setters...
Some people think FIFA 19’s Ultimate Team is all about building a squad full of world beaters.
Sure, that’s part of it, but the real fans know that dressing your side in some of the world’s best kits is how you show you’re a true connoisseur of the game.
We’ve picked out 10 of the best FIFA 19 kits available, so even if you end up getting hammered on the pitch, you can at least hold your head high knowing you did it looking really, really good...
As the Croatia national team prove, if you do a chequerboard design right, it can be a real winner. We’re not saying Portuguese side Moreirense have got it wrong, but it does look a little bit like somebody at the club has been at the vinho verde, with the wonky layout and seemingly random approach to filling in the squares. Somehow, it still works.
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Bayer Leverkusen (away)
While you might think this Leverkusen away shirt was inspired by a bedspread that you probably owned in the ‘90s (and, if you were lucky, matching curtains), it’s actually to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the club’s UEFA Cup triumph. Either way, the diagonal red and black pinstripes will make your Ultimate Team look very smart indeed.
Real Betis (third)
Not many La Liga teams play in green, so this season Betis have decided to make both of their change kits green too. When they look this good, who can blame them? The scattering of polygons on the away kit looks nice, but it’s this lime green third kit with Seville’s most famous landmarks sketched on the front that’s the real winner.
Lazio (home)
Whether it’s the nautical colour scheme, that the eagle emblem in the middle looks a bit like the crest of a wave, or that the way it’s divided looks a bit like the sky and the sea, there’s definitely something very ‘yacht casual’ about the Lazio home shirt. And we’re very much on board with that.
Velez Sarsfield (home)
If you find yourself on a losing run, try donning Velez Sarsfield’s current home kit. Why? Well if your opponent has been paying attention to their highway code, the chevron on the front might subconsciously encourage the defenders to keep their distance from your attackers. Even if it doesn’t work, at least your team will look good. Worth a try, eh?
Atletico Huila (home)
Who? Well, a Colombian Primera A side from the city of Neiva who have only four players on their books with their own Wikipedia page, so there’s no shame in having never heard of them. They do, however, have a pair of kits that both look a lot like a can of Lilt. And if that doesn’t put them on the footballing map, what will?
Sampdoria (home)
A bona fide classic – and it’s not often you see a shirt with the crest in the middle either, is it? Samp know they’re onto a winning formula, and if it ain’t broke... well, you know the rest. The minimalist black away and white third shirts are stonkers too, but the original is still the best.
Shimizu S-Pulse (home)
Part football kit, part geography lesson: J1 League side Shimizu S-Pulse often use a map in their kit designs. The city lies in the shadow of Mount Fuji, so this season’s shirt also has a graphic of the landmark on the back, apparently to mark the fifth anniversary of it becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site. Did we mention it’s bright orange?
Kaizer Chiefs (away)
After many years trying to shake off the association with that godawful band from Leeds, this purple effort from South Africa’s biggest team should do the job. The gold on the colour is a nod to the not-quite-as-nice-but-still-decent home shirt, and it’s just a shame the Vodafone logo is so massive. We voted both home and away our best kits of the season in the summer. So there.
Rayo Vallecano (third)
With its fiercely political fanbase, Madrid’s best team have a habit of using their third kit to support a social cause of some kind. This season’s eye-catching effort is no different, with proceeds going to cancer charities. If you fancy something a little more understated, Rayo’s home kit is the classic white-with-red-sash a la River Plate.
Tom Wiggins is a freelance writer and editor. He has written for various magazines and websites for the past 17 years, including FourFourTwo, Stuff, GQ, Esquire, TechRadar, Yahoo Sport UK, Red Bull, TrustedReviews, ShortList, Wareable, FACT Magazine, Louder, Metro, The Set Pieces, Decrypt Media, In Bed With Maradona, and The Ambient.
