2023 football retro kits of the year

Football is, I believe, a fair mirror of the societies within which it is played. The game contains multitudes. It holds at once the ever-pressing desire to modernise with the misty-eyed yearning to bring back the highlights of generations past. Yet, unlike societies which, when attempting to return to more traditional values, are oftentimes branded as overly conservative and lacking foresight, football is able to uniquely tap into the past whilst persisting daily into the future. 

There are various ways in which clubs can achieve this balancing act between past and future, be it by using a famous face associated with a successful period of the club for a promotional video or interview or, more commonly, by releasing a jersey or collection that pays homage to the design of days gone by. And as 2023 draws to a close, we take a look back at the best throwback jerseys of the year.

Mexico 1985 Adidas Away Fauxback Shirt

It's been a memorable year for adidas, both in terms of spectacular jersey releases and the great return of the Predators, and this retro jersey from the era of Hugo Sanchez, Botellita de Jerez and Andrea Gómez y Mendoza is a serious contender for best retro jersey of the year. The beautifully cut white T-shirt is complemented by the iconic red, white and green detailing that adorns the overlapping V-neck and cuffs, finished off with a green adidas cloverleaf.

Argentina 1994 adidas Away Reissue Shirt 

In the year following Argentina's World Cup triumph, it would be really rude not to mention the new edition of the Argentina Away from 1994. This jersey reminds most people in the world of football of just one player: Diego Maradona. Perhaps it's the football media's fault, and perhaps sometimes our own, that the rest of the Argentina team in Maradonna's day isn't mentioned as often as it should be.

Although that was not a winning World Cup for Argentina, who were eliminated in the last 16 by Romania after Diego was disqualified for doping, last year's success made Argentina forget a complicated issue. But without forgetting the jersey used, in which black and blue are dynamically combined, like the football of this mythical nation. An outstanding jersey.

Manchester City 1990 black kit

After Argentina, the other team that had an exceptionally successful year also designed one of the best retro jerseys of the season. We are of course talking about Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who made the Manchester club the best team in the world. Their Champions League success came at the end of a revolutionary cycle, given the simply outstanding football they brought to the pitch. Stylistically exquisite, as intricate and delicate as they are combative and dangerous, Manchester City have come a long way.

Umbro's black jersey from 1990 perfectly represents the essence of the club as it is today: dominant, unstoppable, elegant, adaptable, detailed yet powerful and commanding. This jersey is definitely one of the few prominent retro jerseys that English teams have produced this year, a favourite without a doubt.

Sampdoria 1986-87 NR Home Jersey

The transfer of Graeme Souness and Trevor Francis to Sampdoria ushered in a new wave of young, talented players who would leave an indelible mark on the Blucerchiati's history. This jersey recalls the joyful quality of Roberto Mancini, Moreno Mannini and the legend Gianluca Vialli, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Unlike larger commercial brands such as Nike and adidas, Nicola Raccuglia is able to produce near-perfect reprints using the same methods with which they were originally made. The iconic crest on the sleeve perfectly matches the horizontal tricolour in the centre of the torso, which has made the Sampdoria jersey one of the most beautiful jerseys in the world. This jersey was the cornerstone of Sampdoria's national and continental success in the early 1990s under Vujadin Boškov. Arguably the most expensive jersey on this list, the NR 86/87 reissue is a true gem in the world of football kits.

AS Monaco 1999/2000 Kappa retro home jersey

Rouges et blancs in name and in deed. Despite failing to maintain its status as the top team in the French league, AS Monaco has always held its own when it comes to football shirts. The Kappa Retro Home Shirt 99/00 is the outstanding example among the jerseys: a jersey with which the Monegasques won their seventh Ligue 1 title.

The iconic Kappa shoulder adds one of the retro details to the diagonally split red and white colour scheme, with the little men marking the boundary between the front and back of the shirt. Along with the iconic Fedcom sponsorship on the chest, it's almost impossible not to imagine David Trezeguet and Marco Simone on the pitch with the Principality's team.