Playing or watching? Read the fabric line first
Two football tees can look the same on a hanger and still do different jobs. When you shop for a football t shirt, find the fabric line in the product description. It tells you what the shirt was made for.
- For playing and training: Nike Dri-FIT tops, such as the Academy and Trophy lines, wick sweat away, and the Academy Dri-FIT T-shirt adds mesh at the back and sides. adidas uses AEROREADY on the Tiro Competition Training Jersey and the kids' Messi Training Jersey. The Under Armour Challenger Pro uses UA Tech fabric, which dries fast.
- For the stands and the street: adidas graphic tees such as the Messi Icon, Copa Signature and Football Graphic are made of soft cotton. So is the Nike Liverpool FC Mercurial tee.
- For a retro look: the Nike Total 90 T-Shirt brings back the style of Nike's Total 90 kits. The adidas Originals jacquard jersey has a loose shape and soft, smooth fabric.
On hot days in the stands, the adidas Z.N.E. T-Shirt uses cool-touch cotton that helps shield you from the sun.
Adult letters, kids' ages: how the sizes are written
Adult tees here run from XS to 2XL. Kids' sizes depend on the brand. adidas and Puma write kids' sizes by age, such as 9-10 Years or 13-14 Years. Nike and Under Armour use letters, XS to XL, on their kids' tops. So compare by age on one brand and by letter on the other.
Fit changes too. Nike describes the Dri-FIT Trophy V as a slim, close fit, while the adidas Originals jacquard jersey has a loose fit. Read the fit line before you choose between two sizes.
If you play every week, start with a Nike Academy Dri-FIT top or an adidas Tiro jersey. If you mostly watch, pick an all-cotton graphic tee. See more Dri-FIT clothing or all football gear.
