The best Third kits of the 2025/26 season Vintage and tradition, future and innovation
Third kits are a delicate topic in football. On one hand, there are those who push for respect of tradition, primarily the fans, and on the other hand, there are those who work to experiment and introduce new elements, whether they have a contemporary/futuristic concept or are designed to capitalize on the nostalgia effect. For this reason, the final result does not always satisfy both sides. Except for some exceptions.
Tottenham - Nike
The 2025/26 season marked the return of the iconic Total 90 template to the football fields, and beyond. Nike created a Third kit with this aesthetic for all clubs in its top tier, drawing inspiration from the past. From this collection, we have selected the yellow kit with details made for Tottenham. A shirt that reintroduces a color linked to the history of the Spurs along with the vintage cockerel logo. All completed with the original Total 90 font used in the Champions League and FA Cup.
Roma - adidas
A striking shirt that captures attention at first glance with its refined lines and radiates elegance in every detail. The third kit made by adidas for Roma is a masterpiece inspired by the green areas and gardens across the Capital, recreated through a pattern repeated on both front and back. Enhancing the shirt further, the traditional ASR monogram in a vibrant contrasting yellow.
Venezia - NOCTA
The partnership between Venezia and NOCTA has led to the creation of iconic kits for the 2025/26 season. The third kit is no exception. A jersey that conveys belonging and passion, using the orange-black-green palette in vertical stripes and reinterpreting the spirit of late ’90s and early 2000s design thanks to the vision of Diego Moscosoni and Ariel Mojetta.
Lens - PUMA
One of the big trends for the 2025/26 season was the use of gold, especially for detailing. A solution also adopted by PUMA for the third kit celebrating Lens’ 120th anniversary. An elegant shirt revealed to fans in a surprising setting, namely Louvre-Lens, a museum built on a former coal mine site, inaugurated in 2012 and obviously linked to the famous Louvre Museum in Paris.
Como - adidas
For the 2025/26 third kit, Como and adidas decided to take an unexplored path. Thanks also to the creative intuition of Rhuigi Villaseñor, the club’s Chief Brand Officer, the shirt comes in an intense black shade enhanced by a tone-on-tone texture and orange details, including the redesigned logo which is transformed into an architectural element.
Werder Bremen - hummel
Speaking of orange, hummel reintroduced it on Werder Bremen’s shirts with a copper tone coloring the third kit designed specifically to celebrate a historic moment for the club. This shirt, in which the green shade gradually lightens from top to bottom, is a tribute to Werder’s first Bundesliga title won in the 1964/65 season.
Nice - Kappa
For Kappa, 2025 coincided with the launch of a special collection celebrating 25 years of Kombat. However, this did not prevent the brand from creating new iconic kits, such as the third kit designed for Nice. La Rivera, the official name, reflects the elegance of the Côte d’Azur, expressed in the color choice and the polo collar with button closure.
Sampdoria - Macron
A bold choice by Macron, which for the 2025/26 season decided to reintroduce the denim effect seen on Napoli shirts in 2013/14. This was done for Sampdoria in an attempt to pay homage to the old port tradition, where blue fabric was initially used for sail sacks and later for the durable work trousers of sailors.
Napoli - EA7
Even the choice of the third kit for the 2025/26 season, made by the De Laurentiis family, is surprising. While the Home and Away kits, as well as the special Champions League shirt, follow more traditional patterns, the third kit stands out for innovation while paying homage to tradition. The particular brown shade chosen is inspired by coffee, probably the city’s most iconic symbol, alongside Diego Armando Maradona.
Jagiellonia - Kappa
Conference League evenings can bring surprises, like the pattern created by Kappa for Jagiellonia’s third kit. A geometric pattern on a purple base, expanding from the star at the top of the logo across the entire jersey through tone-on-tone plays or echoing the gold shade used in the club’s emblem.
Toulouse - Nike
You need to make bold choices to stand out from the crowd. A concrete example comes from Ligue 1 with Toulouse, which developed a jersey with purple inserts and, above all, iridescent details that change color depending on light intensity.
Ajax - adidas
So far, Teamgeist, the template reintroduced by adidas for the 2025/26 season, has been the big absence from this list. Unlike Nike, the German brand mainly used it for Home jerseys of its top-tier teams, with some exceptions, like Ajax’s Third kit, which is inspired by an official document dating back to 1275.
