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One of the great advantages of being a goalkeeper is that you get to wear a different kit to all your teammates.
From the slick to the bold, we've picked out some of the finest threads ever worn by those in gloves.
Read on to find out which strips made the cut (we make no apologies for the 90s featuring in a big way).
32. Spain, 2010-2011 (Adidas)
Iker Casillas was the third goalkeeper to captain a team to World Cup glory, and the legendary Spain custodian did it while looking very sharp indeed.
As La Roja defeated the Netherlands in the 2010 final, Casillas wore this straightforward green and black number featuring Adidas sleeve stripes in the colours of the Spanish flag – and he kept it on to lift the trophy.
31. Everton, 2011/12 (Le Coq Sportif)
Where did Tim Howard go?! I can’t see him; can you?
Ok, so Everton’s camouflage ‘keeper kit for the 2011/12 season didn’t quite make their number one invisible to opposition strikers (although the Toffees did only concede 40 league goals that campaign), but it has to go down as one of the more creative designs of the modern Premier League era.
30. Leeds United, 1992/93 (Admiral)
The Admiral shield is seldom seen on top-level kits these days, but the long-running English manufacturer produced some seriously snazzy shirts for big clubs during the latter part of the 20th century.
In the Premier League’s inaugural campaign of 1992/93, Leeds goalie John Lukic wore this typically 90s jersey as the Yorkshire side tried (but ultimately failed miserably – they finished 17th) to defend their crown as champions of England.
29. Dundee, 2024/25 (Macron)
There’s something of a jester vibe to Dundee’s 2024/25 goalkeeper strips – especially the pink and white one pictured – but we're not joking when we say we’re big fans.
Produced by Italian brand Macron, the above top and its light blue counterpart – bearing the same pattern – complete a slick line-up of threads for the Scottish outfit.
26. Juventus, 2002/03 (Lotto)
In the early days, before they became synonymous with black and white striped shirts, Juventus wore pink and black.
One of their 2002/03 goalkeeper kits (the other was the same but in grey) – donned by the legendary Gianluigi Buffon – paid homage to this, using a template which made you appear absolutely ripped even if you weren’t.
25. Paraguay, 1997 Copa America (Reebok)
Paraguay’s Jose Chilavert is one of the most iconic ‘keepers ever to play the game – not least for his ridiculous goalscoring exploits – and he got to step out in some striking strips over the years.
This one, which ‘El Buldog’ wore at the 1997 Copa America, was all sorts of funky and could only possibly be from that decade.
22. Argentina, 1986-1987 (Le Coq Sportif)
Le Coq Sportif produced a very smart selection of strips for Argentina’s victorious 1986 World Cup campaign, including the kit worn by number one Nery Pumpido (who actually wore the number 18 shirt, owing to the Argentines’ unusual decision to allocate numbers alphabetically by surname).
Grey doesn’t have to be dull at all, as demonstrated by this delightfully patterned two-tone design.
21. Germany, 2002-2003 (Adidas)
Maroon, black and orange: it’s a colour combination that just doesn’t sound like it should work – then you see a picture of Germany skipper Oliver Kahn at the 2002 World Cup and realise that the three shades complement each other superbly.
Kahn donned this simple yet very aesthetically pleasing number – as well as its blue equivalent – in captaining the Germans to their first World Cup final since reunification.
20. Croatia, 1998-1999 (Lotto)
Everyone loves Croatia’s checkerboard shirts, right? How could you not? They’re one of the most iconic in the international game.
And at the country’s debut World Cup of 1998, ‘keeper Drazen Ladic was attired almost as stylishly, thanks to this snazzy yellow and blue number – of which there was also a navy and blue version.
19. Sampdoria, 2007-2011 (Kappa)
Much like Croatia, Sampdoria are one of the most instantly recognisable teams in world football thanks to their unique shirt design.
In the late 00s, the famed Italian club extended their distinctive stripes from their outfield strip to the tops worn by their goalies – and they didn’t miss with it for a good four years, which we just love to see.
18. Liverpool, 1989-1991 (Adidas)
Liverpool’s home shirt for the 1989/90 and 1990/91 seasons remains an absolute classic, thanks to the tasteful pattern woven into the fabric and that iconic sponsor: Italian domestic appliance manufacturer Candy.
And legendarily bonkers number one Bruce Grobbelaar didn’t miss out: his jersey was the same but in that most traditional of goalkeeping colours: green.
17. France, 2011 (Nike)
In 2011, France unveiled a white and blue hooped away shirt – undoubtedly different but arguably a bit too rugby-like for football.
The same pattern on their goalkeeper kits worked wonderfully, however, and Les Bleus’ goalkeepers looked thoroughly stylish whether wearing the black and grey variant pictured or the red and maroon one.
16. England, 1992-1993
The years immediately following the heartache of Italia ’90 weren’t great for England: the Three Lions endured a miserable Euro 92 campaign then failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
They did have some fantastic goalkeeper kits to soften the blow somewhat, though: two wavy-patterned numbers in blue (pictured) and yellow – which even featured elbow pads in the shape of the Umbro logo.
15. Manchester United, 1998-2000 (Umbro)
One of the strips in which Peter Schmeichel helped Manchester United to an historic treble in the 1998/99 season, this green ‘fit is a classic of the Premier League era.
Understated yet still pleasingly 90s, it came with something which you just don’t see on footy shirts these days: a zip!
14. Colombia, 1990 (Adidas)
A slightly mad jersey for a thoroughly mad ‘keeper, this strip for Colombia’s 1990 World Cup campaign is a bit of a work of art.
Worn by unmistakable kamikaze custodian Rene Higuita, it went perfectly with the South American country’s outfield shirts for that tournament – which were also instant classics.
12. Arsenal, 1994/95 (Nike)
Black and grey yet also, in its own way, loud, Arsenal’s first-choice 1994/95 goalie jersey oozed… star quality.
David Seaman was the number one as the Gunners reached the Cup Winners’ Cup final under caretaker boss Stewart Houston (although for the sake of their fans, we’ll refrain from mentioning what happened to Seaman that night in Paris).
10. Yokohama F. Marinos, 1996 (Mizuno)
We can only imagine that opposing forwards found it rather distracting to play against Yokohama F. Marinos during the 1996 season: we’d certainly have struggled to look anywhere but straight at goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.
9. Brazil, 1990-1991 (Topper)
For many years, Brazil’s goalkeepers were especially obvious: they wore tops bearing the nation’s name in great big letters across the front.
That all ended at the start of the 90s, but Claudio Taffarel got to rock retro look (well, it is now) one last time at the 1990 World Cup – in a smart collared jersey from South American supplier Topper.
8. Bristol City, 2023/24 (O'Neills)
Bristol City have shown off some truly sensational goalie kits in recent years, and we particularly rate this colourful feathered design.
Made by Irish sportswear company O’Neills – who have a bit of a knack for producing such snazziness – and giving a decidedly tropical vibe, it was used by the Robins for two seasons.
7. Italy, 1982-1983 (Le Coq Sportif)
Grey with a blue collar and sleeve cuffs to match the shade of the Azzurri’s outfield shirts, Italy’s 1982 World Cup goalkeeper jersey was a simple yet stunning classic which has stood the test of them.
6. Wycombe Wanderers, 2017/18 (O'Neills)
The brainchild of goalkeeping coach Barry Richardson, Wycombe’s main 2017/18 goalie top was a kaleidoscopic masterpiece.
It didn’t quit have the (supposed) intended effect of putting off the other team’s attackers – Wanderers number one Scott Brown conceded 15 goals in his first five games wearing it – but the Buckinghamshire outfit did win promotion from League Two that term, so…
5. Newcastle, 1996/97 (Adidas)
We’re ranking this as the greatest goalkeeper kit in Premier League history – come on, just look at it!
Adidas made these city-specific jerseys for a number of clubs – Scottish giants Rangers also got one – but Newcastle, with a little help from the Tyneside skyline, had the best of the bunch in our view.
4. Lev Yashin – Dynamo Moscow & Soviet Union, various
Still considered by many to be the finest ‘keeper of all time, Lev Yashin was known as the ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Black Spider’ – such was his propensity for lining up between the sticks dressed in all bla…
Actually, it was a very dark blue – but that doesn’t ultimately matter: whether playing for Dynamo Moscow or the Soviet Union national team, Yashin made the look his own, and no one else will ever be able to pull it off quite as well.
3. Mexico, 1994 (Umbro)
A brilliantly eccentric goalkeeper, Mexican great Jorge Campos reflected his personality in his garish self-designed strips.
Capped 129 times by his country, Campos featured at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups – and it was at the first of those that he showed off this ‘fit, gloriously patterned right down to the shorts.
2. Japan, 1998 (Asics)
Does Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi know how lucky he was as a player? Some of the kits he had the chance to pull on for both club and country were just next level.
At the 1998 World Cup in France, he was pure fire emoji (not that emojis were invented until the following year – by a Japanese artist, Shigetaka Kurita, in fact – but if they had been…).
1. Denmark 1992-1993 (Hummel)
Plain black and wonderfully rainbow-ish at the same time, this classic Denmark goalie top goes down as the best of all time (in FourFourTwo’s humble opinion).
Not that it would have mattered what Peter Schmeichel played in as the Danes wrote one of football’s great underdog stories by winning Euro 92 as last-minute entrants, but we reckon that triumphant campaign was made all the more memorable by this piece of Hummel perfection.
