Argentina's Greatest Football Shirts: From Maradona to Messi
Argentina have produced some of the most recognisable football shirts in the game. The sky blue and white stripes, the albiceleste, have been worn by Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, carried through three World Cup wins, and turned into collector pieces that sell for millions. If you want to understand why Argentina shirts hold such a grip on fans and collectors, it helps to look at the moments that made them.
Here is a run through the greatest Argentina football shirts, from the 1978 side that won at home to Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, and what makes each one worth remembering.
What makes an Argentina shirt so iconic?
The light blue and white came from the national flag, and Argentina have worn some version of the striped shirt since their earliest internationals. The colours are simple, which is part of the appeal. There is no busy graphic to date it, so a striped Argentina shirt from the 1980s still looks sharp today. Add the players who have worn it and you get a shirt that carries real weight, a piece of football history rather than just a kit.
The 1978 shirt: winning the World Cup at home
Argentina hosted the 1978 World Cup and won it, beating the Netherlands 3-1 in the final in Buenos Aires. Mario Kempes led the line and the stadium was buried under ticker tape. The shirt was the classic striped design with black shorts, and it is the one that started the modern love affair with the albiceleste. For collectors it marks the first star on the badge.
The 1986 shirt: Maradona and the most valuable shirt ever sold
The 1986 World Cup in Mexico belongs to Diego Maradona. In the quarter-final against England on 22 June, he scored twice: first the Hand of God, punched past Peter Shilton, then the Goal of the Century, a run past half the England team. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final.
That day Argentina played in a blue change shirt rather than the usual stripes. The blue number 10 Maradona wore in the second half, when he scored both goals, later became the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. The former England midfielder Steve Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona after the match and kept it for 36 years. In May 2022 it sold at Sotheby's in London for £7.14 million. One shirt, one afternoon, and a price most clubs would happily take for a player.
The 2022 shirt: Messi finally lifts the World Cup
For years Lionel Messi carried the weight of a country that had not won a World Cup since Maradona. In Qatar in 2022 he finished the job. Argentina beat France in the final, 3-3 after extra time and then 4-2 on penalties, in a match many call the greatest final ever played. Messi scored twice and lifted the trophy at last.
After the win a third star was added above the crest, one for each World Cup. The 2022 shirt is already one of the most wanted modern kits, because it is tied to the moment Messi's career came full circle. If the 1986 shirt is Maradona's, this one is his.
The 2026 shirt and Messi's last dance
Argentina go into the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico as holders, and it is widely expected to be Messi's final tournament. That gives the 2026 shirt an emotional pull before a ball is even kicked. Adidas kept the familiar stripes and the three stars, updated for the modern game. For anyone who has followed Messi's Argentina story, this is the shirt of the goodbye.
Which Argentina shirt is the best one to own?
It depends what you are after. The 1986 blue is the holy grail and out of reach for almost everyone. The 1978 stripes are for the purist who loves the origin story. The 2022 shirt is the one most fans actually want on their back right now, because the memory is fresh and it marks a happy ending. You do not have to spend a fortune to enjoy the hunt, though. Part of the fun of collecting is ending up with a shirt you would never have picked yourself and falling for it anyway.
That is the idea behind a mystery football shirt box. You tell us the teams you would rather avoid, and we send an authentic shirt at random. It might be an Argentina classic, it might be something from a league you have never watched. Either way you are building a collection with a story behind every shirt. We have shipped over 200,000 shirts worldwide doing exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Argentina wear blue and white stripes?
The light blue and white are taken from the Argentine flag. The national team has worn a striped version of the colours since their earliest internationals, and it has become one of the most recognisable kits in world football.
What is the most valuable football shirt ever sold?
Maradona's blue number 10 from the 1986 Hand of God match against England. It sold at Sotheby's in London in May 2022 for £7.14 million, a record for any piece of sports memorabilia at the time.
How many World Cups have Argentina won?
Three: 1978 on home soil, 1986 in Mexico with Maradona, and 2022 in Qatar with Messi. That is why the current shirt carries three stars above the crest.
Will 2026 be Messi's last World Cup?
It is widely expected to be. Messi turns 39 during the 2026 finals, so the shirt he wears as Argentina defend their title is likely to be his last on the biggest stage.
Want to start your own collection and see which classic lands on your doorstep? Take a look at the mystery box and let the surprise do the work.