With a PUMA sponsorship putting an end to the nation’s deal with Nike, we look back at the best Portugal kits from the past 27 years with the Swoosh.
The Portuguese national teams are entering a new era — not just on the pitch with exciting young players, but with their kits as well.
After 27 years with Nike, the nation has officially revealed its first kits as part of its new PUMA deal. And while Portugal and the Swoosh had plenty of bangers over the years, especially as they shared the same poster boy in Cristiano Ronaldo, the PUMA era is off to a good start, as the 2025 slate of shirts and apparel is really nice.
Regardless, PUMA has a lot to live up to when it comes to Portugal shirts and to celebrate the Nike era, I’ve pulled together a list of the best Portugal x Nike kits in history. Let’s dive in.
1997 Home
This is the shirt that started the Nike era off, and it was certainly a splash. The colors are the epitome of Portugal and the green down the sides is doing it for me. Combine that with the collar and the shirt screams ’90s classic. Yes, it’s a very rare kit as they wore it during their failure to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. Regardless, it’s a beautiful shirt.
2002 Home
This is probably one of the most iconic Portugal kits ever. Worn by Ronaldo on his debut alongside the likes of Luis Figo, this is one of the kits that comes to mind when you think of Portuguese football. Portugal also wore it during the 2002 World Cup when they suspiciously got knocked out by co-hosts South Korea. But that’s a conversation for another time.
2004 Home
If the 2002 home wasn’t the most iconic kit then this one certainly is. Worn during EURO 2004, the tournament Portugal hosted, the Seleçao went all the way to the final, knocking out England on penalties on the way. Despite being backed as a favorite, they were pipped at the last hurdle by Greece of all nations. Regardless of a massive upset, this shirt goes down in history thanks to its Total 90 template. The circled numbers on the front are legendary.
2006 Away
Another tournament meant another great kit. But this time, we’re turning our attention to the away shirt. A beautiful sleek black look, this kit was a superb change of pace. Portugal reached the semifinals in controversial fashion in the 2006 World Cup as well. There was the iconic wink moment from Ronaldo to get Wayne Rooney sent off before beating England on penalties (again) and then a chaotic match against the Netherlands that saw four red cards. Including this kit in the top list is most definitely controversial as well, considering it wasn’t even worn during the tournament.
2024 Away
How could I not include this? It was one of my favorite kits of 2024, and now it makes the best Portugal kits of all time. “Lindo” as the Portuguese would say. They wore it during EURO 2024, where they were knocked out in the quarterfinals against France on penalties. They specifically wore this kit when they lost to Georgia in a huge upset by Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and his teammates. At least they looked good doing so…
2020 Home
I’ve included this one purely for the collar, to be honest. It’s the worst on the list, for sure, but looking at the portfolio — it deserves some recognition as it quietly goes about its business of looking good. A sleek all-red base as expected, but the addition of the button-up collar is delightful and rounds off the shirt nicely. There is, however, a distinct lack of green and yellow.
1998 Away
Portugal didn’t qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France but regardless, the nation released some beautiful kits anyways. This away one is the pick of the collection, featuring an all-white base complemented with blue and yellow to deliver a classic ’90s-era design. Nike were killers during this time, and this kit is another piece of evidence. Worn during qualification for EURO 2000, Portugal’s Nike era was off to a cracking start with back-to-back bangers.
