FC Barcelona have worn blaugrana since the beginning of the twentieth century. The combination of deep blue and garnet is one of the most recognisable in world football, and every manufacturer that has worked with the club has had to find something worth doing within those constraints. Over thirty years of collecting culture, ten shirts have come to define what Barcelona means in fabric.
Blue and garnet vertical stripes with a ribbed polo collar and the Kappa logo on the chest, Quely as sponsor. Romario and Hristo Stoichkov shared 45 La Liga goals between them that season. Real Madrid won La Liga that year; Barcelona finished runners-up. The Kappa collar construction on this shirt is cleaner than almost anything in their wider catalogue from the period, and the sponsor placement sits unusually well within the stripe pattern.
Blue and garnet stripes with a white Kappa logo and the TV3 sponsor, worn during the first season after the European Cup win. The Dream Team defended the Liga title for a second consecutive year. Stoichkov, Laudrup, and Koeman in the same side. The shirt worn by the side that had just become European champions for the first time carries all of that weight.
Vivid orange with a round-neck collar, the Nike swoosh and club crest in dark blue, Telefónica Móviles as sponsor. Worn during Frank Rijkaard's first season in charge, the year Ronaldinho arrived from Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona finished second in La Liga. The orange is an unusual colour for a club defined entirely by blue and garnet, and Nike pulled it off without reservation.
Blue and garnet stripes with a deep V-neck collar and the Ronaldinho-era crest, Telefónica Móviles as sponsor. Ronaldinho's first Liga title, Samuel Eto'o's 25 league goals, and a young Messi making appearances from the bench. The year Ronaldinho was voted the best player in the world. The V-neck construction gives this shirt a shape that most Barcelona kits from the Nike era never matched.
Blue and garnet stripes with a v-neck collar and the early Nike construction, Telefónica as sponsor. Rivaldo won the Ballon d'Or that season. Barcelona won La Liga. The first Nike home kit that felt completely settled in the blaugrana — the earlier Nike entries had still been finding their footing. Rivaldo in this shirt at the Camp Nou is one of the images of the era.
Deep red with a black collar and the Nike swoosh and crest in gold, Telefónica Móviles as sponsor. Worn during the Champions League winning season. Barcelona beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final in Paris, with Eto'o and Belletti scoring after Lehmann had been sent off. The dark red and gold combination is the most striking away kit in the Ronaldinho era and among the best Barcelona have worn in Europe.
Blue and garnet stripes with a crew-neck collar and dark navy details, Unicef on the chest. Pep Guardiola's first season. La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League. In Rome, Eto'o and Messi beat Manchester United 2-0. Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Messi — the midfield that set the standard for the decade that followed. The shirt worn by the side that defined how the game was meant to be played.
Blue and garnet stripes with the Meyba logo and the TV3 sponsor. Johan Cruyff's Dream Team. Stoichkov, Laudrup, Koeman, Guardiola, Bakero. They won the European Cup for the first time in the club's history, beating Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley — Ronald Koeman's free-kick in extra time. The shirt worn by the team that built the template every Barcelona side since has been measured against.
Blue and garnet stripes with a V-neck collar in dark navy, Unicef as chest branding. At Wembley, Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1. Messi, Villa, Pedro. Guardiola's side were the best team in the world and there was no debate about it. The shirt is the most collected piece from the Guardiola era — the right construction, the right season, and the right result at the right ground.
Blue and garnet stripes with a crew-neck collar and dark navy detail, Qatar Airways as sponsor. MSN: Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Messi scored 43 La Liga goals. Suarez scored 25. Barcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League — beating Juventus 3-1 in Berlin. The most complete attacking season any European club side had produced, and the shirt that carries it. Nothing from the Nike era comes close.
