Kits are an important part of the football culture, and their colours play a huge role in fans identifying with their clubs and countries. In this guide, we’ve highlighted some of the most famous football teams that play in red kits.
Red Football Teams
The colour red is one of the most populous worn by football teams on both club and international levels, and some of the teams that play in red jerseys are some of the biggest sides on the planet. Check out our guide to some of the best football teams that play in red kits below.
Manchester United play in a red kit at home, with black and white features on the collar and shoulder, while Liverpool also add a tiny touch of white on theirs. Arsenal, Ajax and Middlesbrough wear a mixture of red and white jersey, and Nottingham Forest has a very little white trim on theirs.
Bayern Munich and Benfica also don red kits with a touch of white, while AS Roma wear a carmine kit – which has the red colour deep in abundance.
On the international scene, there are some popular teams that play in red kits.
Egypt and Belgium play their home games in a red jersey with black trim, Portugal mix theirs with green while Chile have a touch of blue in theirs.
European Clubs that play in red kits
Some of the most successful sides in European soccer teams play in red; we’ve picked some of the best below.
Ajax
Ajax were founded in 1900 and have since won 73 trophies.
They have worn the red kits since 1911 upon their first-ever Eredivisie promotion.
With 36 Dutch top-flight titles and 20 Dutch Cups to their name, the Netherlands outfit continue to dominate the domestic scene and are the team to beat in the land.
AS Roma
Roma were founded in 1927 and have won 18 trophies since then.
The Serie A outfit have worn the red kits since inception, with the carmine red representing the traditional colours of Rome.
The Italians have played top-flight football for all of their existence except during the 1951-52 season.
They have three Serie A titles, nine Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles to their name.
Roma won the inaugural Europa Conference League in 2021-22 – their only continental honour so far.
Roma’s line up from 1953-54 seasonBayern Munich
Bayern Munich were founded in 1900 and have won 82 trophies.
The Bundesliga giants have worn red kits since 1974 and are nicknamed Die Roten (The Reds) as a result.
The Bavarians are the most successful club in German football history, with a record 32 league titles under their belt.
They have won the league 10 times on a bounce since 2013, with 20 DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and six Champions League/European Cup titles to their name.
Benfica
Benfica were founded in 1904 and have won 84 trophies.
The Portuguese heavyweights have worn red kits since they were founded, with Os Encarnados (The Reds) being one of their nicknames.
Benfica are the most decorated club in Portugal having won 80 domestic trophies, including a record 37 Primeira Liga titles, a record 26 Taça de Portugal (Portugal Cup) and a record 7 Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup).
They won back-to-back European Cups between 1960 and 1962.
English clubs that play in red jerseys
There are several teams in English football that play in red kits; some of which are the biggest names in world football. We’ve selected some of the most common teams that play in red jerseys below:
Arsenal
Arsenal were founded in 1886 and have since won 48 trophies.
The Gunners have played in red kits since 1886, inspired by a charitable donation from Nottingham Forest soon after the club were established.
With 13 English top-flight titles, a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups and 16 FA Community Shields, the North London-based outfit are the third-most successful club in English football.
However, they have failed to establish any sort of dominance on the continental stage, with the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 their only prize at that level.
Liverpool
Liverpool were founded in 1892 and have won 73 trophies.
The Anfield outfit originally played in Blue and White kits when they were first founded. They have played in red kits since 1964 and are famously called The Reds.
While they have won just one Premier League title, they have 18 First Division titles to their names, with eight FA Cups and six European Cup/Champions League among their honours.
Liverpool’s greatest ever player in the famous red kitManchester United
Manchester United were founded in 1878, initially as Newton Heath LYR F.C, changing to their current name in 1902.
They have won 68 trophies and have worn red kits since 1902, usually with white shorts and black socks.
Man Utd, famously called The Red Devils, have won the most English top-flight titles (20), 12 FA Cups, five League Cups, and a record 21 FA Community Shields.
They have won three European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, with their last coming in 2007-08.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough were founded in 1876 and have won only a major trophy – the League Cup in 2004.
They have worn red kits since 1899 and were one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest were founded in 1865 and have won 15 trophies.
They have worn red kits since the club’s foundation and are one of four English clubs to have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League more than once and one of two English clubs to have won the competition back-to-back.
Forest returned to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years after winning the 2022 Championship play-off final against Huddersfield Town and will hope to stay up going forward.
National teams that play in red kits
Belgium
The Belgium national team were founded in 1904 and are without any major trophy.
The Red Devils have worn red kits since inception, it being their national colour.
Their best performance at a major tournament was at the 2018 World Cup – where they placed third.
Kevin De Bruyne – one of the world’s best players in Belgium’s red kitChile
The Chilean national team were founded in 1895 and have won two trophies.
The 2015 and 2016 Copa America winners, often dubbed La Roja (The Red One), have worn the red kits since 1947.
Egypt
The Egyptian national team were founded in 1920 and have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times.
The Pharaohs have worn red kits since 1957.
Portugal
The Portuguese national team were founded in 1921 and have won two trophies.
The 2016 European Championship winner and 2019 Nations League winner have worn red kits since they were established. Sometimes, their kits can be a shade of purple, but usually they are red. Does the team you support have red jerseys? If so, you can not only show your support by purchasing the same jersey, but you can also make custom enamel pins with red jersey elements to use. Simply upload your image to GS-JJ to start customizing your own jersey pin. Use these custom enamel pins to decorate your clothing or bag to show your support for your favourite team!
One of the greatest of all time, CR7 in Portugal’s red jerseyOther teams that play in red kits
There are hundreds of teams in world football that play in red kits. Honourable mentions go to:
- Al-Ahly
- Angola
- Austria
- Albania
- Braga
- Brest
- China
- Clermont Foot
- Equatorial Guinea
- Freiburg
- Denmark
- Gambia
- Granada
- Independiente
- Internacional
- Lille
- Malawi
- Mallorca
- Morocco
- Norway
- Osasuna
- Poland
- PSV Eindhoven
- Red Star Belgrade
- Russia
- Spain
- Serbia
- South Korea
- Spartak Moscow
- Sparta Prague
- Stade de Reims
- Sudan
- Switzerland
- Tunisia
- Union Berlin
- Wisla Krakow