With the football season well and truly underway, football shirts are no longer just worn by those who loyally follow their football teams, but have infiltrated fashion and culture, with influencers and artists wearing European football shirts and gym wear frequently, with Drake and Migos being among many that are seen regularly in Premier League shirts. Recently searches for AS Roma’s shirt skyrocketed after it was worn by Kim Kardashian. Menswear brand boohooMAN have analysed demand and popularity by gathering online search volumes for football clothing related terms in the last 12 months for the top 50 most social media followed clubs across the globe.
1) Real Madrid – 416,835 global searches
It should come as no surprise that the 14 time Champions League winners come as first on the list with an average monthly search of 416,835 in the last 12 months across the globe. Famed for their all white kits, it’s a perfect addition to your summer wardrobe. Despite leaving the club in 2018, browsers are still searching for ‘Real Madrid Ronaldo’ shirts more than any other player, not only is he one of the greatest footballers of all time, but he is also a fashion icon and no doubt his 10 year stint at Real Madrid has contributed to the popularity of the famous shirt.
2) Manchester United – 390,985 global searches
In second place on the list is Manchester United, commonly known as the Red Devils. During the 2000s, their shirts were produced by Nike, but since 2014, Adidas has taken over the manufacturing of their iconic jersey. Not only are browsers interested in current or upcoming shirts, but Manchester United enthusiasts are also interested in vintage shirts, browsers are searching for the 1990 and 1999 version of jerseys as the most popular terms.
3) Liverpool – 365,325 global searches
In third place is another English club, Liverpool, who have the third most in-demand football shirts in the world. A competitor of the Manchester United shirt, it’s interesting that both rank highly on the list. This can be explained by the fact that shoppers are also searching for vintage or retro Liverpool jerseys. Both shirts have a powerful history which stems from the iconic past and present players who have worn the shirt, resulting in a feeling of nostalgia contributing to it as a popular fashion choice.
4) Arsenal – 358,590 global searches
It should come as no surprise that Arsenal’s ranks fourth on this list globally, but rank as the most popular in just the United Kingdom. Throughout social media, Arsenal’s yearly kit releases are praised within football fashion circles, the iconic red shirt with white sleeves combination is lauded for its feeling of north London, the roots of the club’s history. Arsenal’s players have a long held tradition of wearing long sleeved shirts, and all the players in the team wearing the same sleeve length, making it unique in the world of football which has brought it from a mainstay of London fashion, to a global fashion statement.
5)Paris Saint-Germain – 296,520 global searches
It wouldn’t be a fashion list without a team from the fashion capital of the world, Paris Saint-Germain ranked fifth on this list. It is the only shirt on this list which is manufactured by the Jordan brand. Paris Saint-Germain’s jersey popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, this can be explained by the star personnel which wear the shirt, the influence of Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé all of who are amongst the most known footballers in the world promoting the Paris Saint-Germain jersey. The study found that browsers are directly searching for Paris Saint-Germain shirts with those names on the back with Messi being the most popular in the team with an average global monthly search of 6,950.
6) Barcelona – 290,296 global searches
Barcelona ranks sixth on this list, the blue and red stripe jersey is a popular choice amongst football jersey enthusiasts. The shirt transcends beyond European popularity with Drake often pictured in the Barcelona jersey and posting it on his Instagram. Past star footballers have also popularized the shirt, with 8,170 average monthly browsers across the globe searching for ‘Barcelona Messi’ shirts.
7) Manchester City F.C – 245,530 global searches
Manchester city F.C rank seventh on this list, four places behind their local rivals Manchester United. This can be contributed to by the fact that they have star players who wear the shirt and play for the club, such as Jack Grealish who also has a contract as a Gucci ambassador. They have an average monthly search of 245,430 for their jerseys.
8) Chelsea – 193,810 global searches
Placing eighth on the list is Chelsea, the only other London club to place in the top ten. The club has an average monthly search volume of 193,810 in the last 12 months. The club has popular support across the globe and the blue shirt is famous with ‘retro shirts’ also being searched by fans of the shirt.
9) Ajax – 117,039 global searches
Ajax, the Amsterdam based team is the perfect example of how football jerseys have transitioned into fashion, it’s ranking on this list is due to the 2021/22 Away edition which was inspired by Bob Marley, as the jerseys incorporated the colours of green, yellow and red for the Adidas stripes on the black shirt, with three little birds imprinted on the back. This instantly made it popular across the globe with football shirt enthusiasts looking to purchase the item, we can see this as a large number of browsers are searching for terms like ‘Ajax Bob Marley shirt’ or ‘Bob Marley Ajax kit.’
10) Juventus – 91,663 global searches
Ranking tenth and the only Italian team to feature on the list is Juventus. The biggest Italian clubs’ shirts are traditionally striped, and Juventus are no exception with their classic black and white stripes throughout the years. They have an average monthly search of 91,663 in the last 12 months. Italian fashion is famous and it’s only fitting that this translates into the football world.
A spokesman from boohooMAN has commented on the findings “Football is the biggest sport in the world and it’s understandable that football fans would fill their wardrobes with merchandise from their favourite team. The findings show that not only are shirts now worn by the star players and fans of the sport, but have transcended beyond sport into fashion, the clearest example would be Ajax’s 2021/22 Away kit, better known as the ‘Bob Marley shirt’. Despite not being directly linked to the sport, many fashion influencers are often spotted wearing football shirts as more of a fashion statement, including the most famous influencer, Kim Kardashian who wore an AS Roma jersey earlier this year.”
|
Club |
Global |
UK |
Rank Global |
Rank UK |
|
Real Madrid |
416,835.80 |
56,811.70 |
1 |
7 |
|
Manchester United |
390,985.80 |
125,788.30 |
2 |
3 |
|
Liverpool |
365,325.00 |
143,515.80 |
3 |
2 |
|
Arsenal |
358,590.00 |
146,105.00 |
4 |
1 |
|
Paris St Germain |
296,520.80 |
67,195.80 |
5 |
5 |
|
Barcelona |
290,296.70 |
41,942.50 |
6 |
9 |
|
Manchester City |
245,430.80 |
67,330.80 |
7 |
4 |
|
Chelsea |
193,810.00 |
59,131.70 |
8 |
6 |
|
Ajax |
117,039.20 |
24,112.50 |
9 |
13 |
|
Juventus |
91,663.30 |
15,227.50 |
10 |
18 |
