The Best Football Shirts from the 1998 World Cup

France 98 was the last World Cup before football shirts changed forever. Slim-cut templates were still years away. Replica kits were still made to the same spec as the player version. And the manufacturers - Nike, Adidas, Umbro, Kappa - were producing some of the most distinctive national team designs ever made.

It was also one hell of a tournament. Zidane's headers. Ronaldo's mysterious final. Owen's goal against Argentina. Batistuta. Bergkamp. Schillaci - no wait, wrong one. The point is: the football was extraordinary, and so were the kits.

Here's our guide to the shirts that defined France 98 - backed by what FSC collectors are actually buying.

Shop France 98 World Cup shirts here

Brazil – Nike Home (1998)

Of course it starts here. Nike had taken over the Brazil kit contract from Umbro in 1996, and by France 98 they'd found their footing. The home shirt - yellow with green trim, the Nike swoosh sitting cleanly on the chest - is one of the most instantly recognisable garments in football history.

The version that sells consistently at FSC is the Ronaldo #9. This was the tournament where O Fenômeno announced himself to a global audience - top scorer with four goals - before the mysterious pre-final incident that left everyone asking questions. Whatever happened that night, the shirt he wore throughout France 98 remains one of the most sought-after collector's pieces of the era.

The Rivaldo #10 home shirt is worth tracking down too. Less obvious than the Ronaldo, but Rivaldo was arguably Brazil's most complete player in France and his name set is significantly rarer in the market.

Shop authentic Brazil football shirts here

France – Adidas Home (1998)

Zinedine Zidane scored twice in the final. Laurent Blanc had the pre-match kiss. Fabien Barthez had the head. And France, in their deep navy adidas home shirt with the tricolour trim, lifted the World Cup in front of their own fans.

The Zidane #10 home shirt is one of the steadiest sellers across our entire vintage range. There's a reason: it's a beautiful shirt, worn by one of the greatest players who ever lived, in the tournament where France won their only World Cup. That combination doesn't come around often.

The adidas template used for the France 98 home is understated by the standards of the tournament - no textured fabric, no embossed pattern, just clean navy with a collar. It's aged better than almost anything else from that era.

Shop authentic France football shirts here

England – Umbro Home and Away (1997/99)

England's 1997/99 Umbro shirts are among the most popular kits we stock - full stop. The white home shirt with its dark navy and red trim is quintessential England, and the Beckham #7 version carries the weight of one of the tournament's defining moments: his red card against Argentina in the round of 16, which made him briefly the most hated man in England before he spent the next four years making everyone forget it.

The away shirt - grey with an unusual tonal pattern - is divisive but interesting. Gascoigne #8 is the name that sells on the away; this was his last major tournament, a career winding down in real time.

For the home, Owen #20 is the other name to look for. His goal against Argentina - a 17-year-old sprinting past Chamot and Ayala before firing past Roa - is one of the great World Cup moments. The shirt carries it.

Shop authentic England football shirts here

Holland – Nike Home (1998)

Holland didn't win France 98 - they went out on penalties to Brazil in the semi-final - but their orange Nike home shirt is one of the cleanest designs of the tournament. No fussiness. No unnecessary graphics. Just a very good Nike template in the right colour.

Bergkamp #10 is the name that matters here. His goal against Argentina in the quarter-final - the chest control, the touch, the finish - is regularly voted one of the greatest goals ever scored. The shirt he wore to score it is, accordingly, worth owning.

Shop authentic Holland football shirts here

Argentina – Adidas Home (1998)

Argentina's 1998 adidas home shirt - vertical blue and white stripes, clean white sleeves - is a classic by any measure. Batistuta #9 is the name most collectors want on it. Batigol scored a hat-trick against Jamaica in the group stage and was Argentina's standout player before they were knocked out by Holland.

Rarer, and increasingly sought-after, is the Ortega #10 version. Ortega was brilliant throughout the tournament before his headbutt on the Dutch keeper in the quarter-final ended Argentina's campaign. The shirt commemorates the chaos.

Shop authentic Argentina football shirts here

Scotland – Umbro Home (1998)

Scotland at a World Cup. It doesn't happen anymore, which is exactly why the shirts from their last two appearances (1990 and 1998) have become so collectable.

The 1997/99 Umbro home - navy blue with a subtle tartan-effect pattern on the chest - is a genuinely great design. Hendry #5 is the name you find on most of the player shirts in the market; Colin Hendry was Scotland's captain and arguably their best player in France. They still went out in the group stage, obviously. That's Scotland.

Jamaica – Kappa Home (1998)

This one needs no explanation to anyone who was watching in 1998. Jamaica's maiden World Cup appearance was soundtracked by reggae, announced by the Reggae Boyz, and represented in a Kappa home shirt that looked like nothing else at the tournament - bright yellow with black trim and the Kappa logo rendered in a way that still looks brilliant today.

They lost all three group games, including 5-0 to Argentina. None of that matters. The shirt is extraordinary, and the unlicensed versions have been everywhere for years - which makes original Kappa stock increasingly hard to find and increasingly worth having.

Spain – Adidas Home (1998)

Spain in 1998 were a team of talent that never quite delivered - as would become a recurring theme for the next decade. But their adidas home shirt, in deep red with yellow trim, is one of the better-looking designs from the tournament. Raúl #10 is the name that sells: he was 21, electric, and should have been the centrepiece of Spanish football for the next decade. The shirt reflects that optimism.

Italy – Nike Home (1997/99)

Italy's 1997/99 Nike home shirt is in the conversation for best Italy kit ever made. Deep blue, clean white trim, the Nike swoosh replacing the Diadora branding of previous years - it looks like a shirt that knew what it was doing. Maldini #3 is the obvious collector's name; Totti #20 is the one that's harder to find.

Italy went out on penalties to France in the semi-final. Roberto Baggio wasn't even in the squad. Move on.

Nigeria – Adidas Home (1994 and 1998)

Strictly speaking, Nigeria's famous green-and-white adidas shirt from the mid-90s covers both their 1994 debut and their 1998 campaign. The 1998 version - slightly updated but recognisably the same template - is one of the most visually striking African national team kits ever produced. No player name dominates; people want the shirt for the shirt.

Shop France 98 World Cup shirts here

Shop Authentic 1998 World Cup Shirts

Every shirt in our France 98 collection is a guaranteed original. No replicas, no repros — just authentic kits from the tournament, many with original player name sets and squad numbers still intact.

We've sold over 10,000 shirts to collectors across 80+ countries and carry a 4.8 Trustpilot rating. When it comes to vintage and authentic football shirts, we know what we're looking at.

Shop France 98 World Cup shirts here