As the holiday season approaches and chilly winds start swirling through stadiums across Europe, soccer’s biggest clubs are competing for more than just points on the pitch. Many have released official Christmas sweaters to keep fans cozy and festive this winter – but some have fared better than others in the style department.
From Stylish Knits to Ironic Eyesores
While soccer Christmas sweaters were once reliably garish, with busy patterns in cheap acrylic, many top clubs have seriously upped their knitwear game in recent years. Subtle designs, quality materials, and smart details have helped elevate the humble holiday jumper from an ironic novelty to a must-have winter wardrobe staple for dedicated fans.
Of course, some teams are still firmly embracing the cheesy charm of the ugly Christmas sweater, with cartoonish graphics and groan-worthy puns. But whether chic or cringe-worthy, all the festive fits demonstrate that soccer clubs are putting real effort into creating memorable merchandise for the holidays.
Winning Looks for the Holidays
So who takes the top spot for 2024’s best soccer Christmas sweater? AC Milan leads the pack with a refined design featuring an elegant tartan pattern in the club’s iconic red and black. The laurel wreath from their 125th anniversary crest adds a gilded accent, making this a jumper you could proudly wear to any holiday gathering.
Close behind is Bayern Munich‘s alpine-inspired Fair Isle knit, which depicts a scenic cable car ascending into the snowy Bavarian mountains. It’s a stunning sweater that evokes the cozy charm of an aprés-ski lounge. Barcelona scores high marks for a bold tricolor design bursting with Catalan pride, complete with a matching hat and socks for a pulled-together winter look.
Retro Flair and Adorable Animals
Retro-inspired designs are another standout trend, as exemplified by Tottenham‘s 90s throwback sweater based on a classic purple and navy away kit. Newcastle United also scores with a busy Fair Isle jumper that pays tribute to the city’s landmarks, lingo, and feathered mascot.
Animals are always a winning motif for the holidays, and Real Madrid delivers an adorable “Bearnabéu” – a scarf-wearing teddy bear celebrating a goal in front of a miniature Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Arsenal also earns points for a whimsical tribute to their beloved dino mascot Gunnersaurus Rex.
Puns and Public Service
Clever wordplay elevates Manchester United‘s offering, which features a grinning polar “Red Bear” – though the sweater may provide cold comfort to fans enduring a frustrating season at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Chelsea has produced a standard Fair Isle jumper that, if nothing else, should help keep ice-cold winger Cole Palmer warm on the sidelines.
Still firmly on the naughty list: Liverpool, which has simply reissued last year’s design – a real lump of coal for Reds fans. Atlético Madrid also misses the mark with their half-hearted sweatshirt that lacks any seasonal magic.
Surprises From Serie A
Leave it to the Italians to deliver some delightful curveballs. Roma takes the fruitcake for eccentricity with a patchwork cardigan and matching suspenders that manage to be both hideously garish and unexpectedly stylish. Inter Milan, on the other hand, fully embraces the ironic ugly sweater trend with a busy “Happy Winter” design that’s sure to be a hit at holiday pub crawls.
The Bottom Line
As our rankings show, there’s a wide range of festive fashion options for footy fans this Christmas, from the genuinely chic to the ironically horrid. While a few clubs could clearly use some help from Santa’s elves in the design department, it’s heartening to see most teams taking the time to deliver something special for supporters this holiday season, even if the product on the pitch hasn’t always been a gift.
You can tell a lot about a club by their Christmas sweater. The ones who put real effort and thought into the design, regardless of the aesthetic outcome, are the ones who truly have the festive spirit – and their fans – at heart.
– A fashion industry insider
