Argentina this, Argentina that. The Albiceleste deserve all the praise they can get after an exhilarating 2022 World Cup triumph, especially in that classic blue and white-striped kit. But how does that shirt rank against some of the other brilliant Argentina ones of the past? Let's look at the five best Argentina kits of all time.
5. 1986 Home, Le Coq Sportif
Please keep it simple, as they say. The adage rang true during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when Argentina just went big. The iconic kit, worn by no other than Diego Maradona and penciled into the brains of Argentina fans everywhere, is a kit staple.
The jersey, made by the 1980s French brand Le Coq Sportif, consisted of broad blue and white stripes and a massive Argentina badge, not to be outdone by the sleek and upright rooster logo of Le Coq Sportif. What a beauty.
4. 1986 Away kit 2, Le Coq Sportif
If there's ever a kit that needs a remake, it's this one. The kit materials, specifically the heavy-infused cotton, drew ire from the players for slowing them down. So, the team (read: Maradona) forced Le Coq Sportif to make a second iteration sourced from local markets in Mexico. It contained a darker shade of blue compared to the traditional Celeste sky blue jerseys.
The remake worked wonders, as Maradona scored two of the most remarkable goals in World Cup history- Hand of God and Goal of the Century- wearing it against England in the quarter-finals. The shirt smashed the record for most expensive game-worn jersey in May 2022, when it auctioned off for $9.3 million.
3. 1994 Away, Adidas
It may not be the fondest inclusion in the annals of Argentina kits. FIFA famously banned Maradona during the 1994 World Cup for taking a banned substance. Consequently, the Albiceleste eeked it out of the Group stage but lost in the Round of 16.
Adidas recreated the kit in 2023 using World Cup winner Lionel Messi as the face of the retro campaign.
2. 1998 Home, Adidas
“Batigoal” Gabriel Batistuta is the only player to score a hat-trick in two editions of the World Cup. He wore this kit with its dainty black collar, Adidas stripes on the flanks, and “AFA” printed midway in the Paris edition.
Combined with the traditional black and white stripes, the 3-D typography on the front and back of #9 screamed like a classic video game.
1. 2022 Home Kit, Adidas
Recency bias? What recency bias? Ok, it was only one year ago today the GOAT himself, #10 Lionel Messi, guided Argentina to the World Cup in one of the most epic finals.
In the traditional celeste, that shirt sold for $7.8 million at Sotheby's in December 2023.
Photo: Twitter/sportstarweb
