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Argentina Retro Shirts: Every Classic Kit Explained
433FC stocks 40 Argentina retro shirts from 1978 to 2022, including four versions of the 1986 kit. The famous blue 1986 away was improvised: Le Coq Sportif could not supply a lighter shirt, so staff bought replacements in Mexico City. All shirts here are replica reissues, not licensed originals.
Argentina’s retro range is dominated by two tournaments and one player. Our 40 Argentina lines
begin with 1978, the World Cup won at home, and run through 1986 in four different versions, the Adidas years of
the 1990s, and on to 2022. The albiceleste stripes barely change across the decades, so what separates these
shirts is the fabric, the crest and the badging — and, in the case of the most famous shirt of all, the fact that
it was not really made for Argentina at all.
Which Argentina eras does this range actually cover?
Argentina’s supplier history explains most of what you see in this range:
- 1970s — 2 shirts. Both 1978 home shirts, from the World Cup won 3-1 against the Netherlands
after extra time at the Estadio Monumental on 25 June 1978, Mario Kempes scoring twice. Adidas supplied the kit. - 1980s — 5 shirts. All from 1986, including home, away and a Maradona edition. Le Coq Sportif
held the contract through the decade. - 1990s — 14 shirts. The Adidas years: 1990 goalkeeper, 1993 and 1993/94, 1994 in home and
Maradona versions, 1996 and 1998. - 2000s — 9 shirts. Covering 2002, 2006 and 2006/07 in home, away and long-sleeve versions.
- 2010s — 7 shirts. Including 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2019, plus a 2022 World Cup icon edition.
Why is the 1986 Argentina away shirt so famous?
Because Argentina beat England 2-1 in it at the Estadio Azteca on 22 June 1986, with both Maradona goals — the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century. Argentina’s official dark shirt was too heavy for the heat, so staff bought lighter blue shirts in Mexico City days before the match.
The details beyond that are genuinely disputed, and worth knowing before you read a confident version elsewhere.
Accounts agree that Le Coq Sportif could not supply a lighter blue shirt in time and that staff went shopping in
Mexico City, with Maradona choosing between the options. They disagree on almost everything else: one account names
AFA employee Ruben Moschella visiting around forty stores, another places the purchase in the Tepito market, and
the number of shirts bought is usually given as 38. The crest and numbers were then added by hand.
Who made Argentina’s World Cup shirts in 1978 and 1986?
Adidas made the 1978 kit, not Le Coq Sportif, despite what many listings claim. Adidas supplied Argentina from 1974 to 1979. Le Coq Sportif then held the contract through the 1980s, including 1986, before Adidas returned in 1990 and, after a short Reebok spell, again from 2001.
| Year | Supplier | What made it famous |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Adidas | The first World Cup win, 3-1 against the Netherlands in Buenos Aires, Kempes scoring twice. |
| 1986 home | Le Coq Sportif | The World Cup won in Mexico; we stock home, long-sleeve and Maradona versions. |
| 1986 away | Bought in Mexico City | The blue shirt of the England quarter-final and both Maradona goals. |
| 1994 | Adidas | Maradona’s final World Cup; we stock the away and a Maradona number 10 version. |
| 1998 | Adidas | Home and away from the France 98 cycle. |
| 2022 | Adidas | A World Cup icon edition marking the third world title. |
For a sense of what the original is worth: the shirt Maradona wore in the second half against England, swapped
with Steve Hodge and consigned by him, sold at Sotheby’s on 4 May 2022 for 7.1 million pounds, then a record for
any piece of sports memorabilia. Maradona’s family disputed that it was the shirt worn for the two goals; Sotheby’s
stood by its photo-matching. The reissues below are, needless to say, rather more accessible.
What should you look for when buying Argentina retro shirts?
Check the manufacturer claim first, because Argentina listings get this wrong more often than most. The 1978
kit was made by Adidas, not Le Coq Sportif, and a listing that says otherwise has confused the decades: Adidas held
the contract from 1974 to 1979, Le Coq Sportif took over for the 1980s, Adidas returned in 1990, Reebok had a short
spell around the turn of the century, and Adidas has held it since 2001. Adidas and the Argentine federation marked
fifty years of association in 2024, which is consistent with that 1974 start.
The 1978 shirts are genuinely scarce in original form because production runs were small, and the 1986 blue away
is scarcer still, with only 38 shirts reported to have been bought in Mexico City. That is the appeal, and it is
also why reissues of both sell steadily. If you want the Maradona association specifically, we stock 1986 and 1994
shirts in dedicated Maradona versions alongside the standard ones.
Are 433FC Argentina retro shirts authentic reissues or replicas?
They are replica reissues rather than licensed originals, and we are not an official AFA retailer. We reproduce the stripes, crest and numbering of the original tournament shirt on modern fabric. Genuine period Argentina shirts are scarce and trade on the vintage market at many times a reissue price.
How should an Argentina retro shirt fit?
The 1978 and 1986 reproductions follow originals cut short in the body with a close sleeve, which is why they can feel snugger than an English shirt of the same era. The 1990s and 2000s lines are more generous. If you are between sizes on the 1980s shirts, size up.
Adult sizes run S to XXL with some lines extending further, and long-sleeve and goalkeeper versions carry their
own size runs on each product page. Browse the wider Argentina collection, the full
retro football shirt collection for more than 2,000 classics, or read our guide to the
most iconic retro football kits.
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