Real Madrid shirts through the years: three from our rail

The Corner · 27 October 2026

Real Madrid means white. It was that way on the club's first pitches, and it is that way today at the Santiago Bernabéu. Behind that white, though, there is plenty of history: an English role model, a crown from the king, a brief flirtation with black and successive sponsors who passed across the chest of the shirt. We are not telling the story of every kit since 1902 here. We have gathered what you need to know to read a Real shirt, and then we take three pieces from our rail, each from a different era.

Why Real Madrid wear white

The club was founded in 1902 and has worn white from the start. The model most often cited is London's Corinthian, an amateur side held up in Spain as an example of playing with class. Hence the nickname Los Blancos, simply the Whites.

Real did try to break the rule once. In 1925 former players of the club came back from England taken with Corinthian, and black was added to the white kit. It lasted one season. Real went out of the cup to Barcelona that year, 1:5 in Madrid and 0:2 away, and president Pedro Parages announced a return to all white, because any departure from it was supposed to bring bad luck. Since then the white has been untouchable, and colours appear on away and third shirts.

Where “Real” and the crown on the badge came from

The word “Real” in the name means “royal”. The club received the title on 29 June 1920 from King Alfonso XIII, in a letter from the royal household to president Pedro Parages. Along with the title came the right to a crown on the badge. Hence the Polish nickname Królewscy, the Royals.

The crown has had its own adventures. In 1931, when Spain became a republic, it disappeared from the badge, the club was simply called Madrid again, and a purple band crossed the badge for the first time. In 1941, after the civil war, the crown came back and the badge was made in full colour for the first time.

Who made the shirt and whose name was on it

Advertising only appeared on Real's shirt in the 1980s. The first sponsor, in 1982, was Zanussi. After that came Parmalat, Otaysa and, from 1992 to 2001, Teka, the name on the chest when Real won the Champions League in 1998 and 2000. Around the turn of the century Siemens took the chest, later BenQ, from 2007 bwin, and from 2013 the airline Emirates. adidas has made Real's shirts since 1998 and in 2015 extended the deal for another decade. The three stripes were already on Real's shirts in the early 1980s, and between those two spells the club was dressed by Hummel (1986 to 1994) and Kelme (1994 to 1998).

The names on the chest add up to a short history of the club: Teka means the 1990s and two Champions League wins, Siemens and BenQ the years 2002 to 2007, bwin the time of Cristiano Ronaldo's first seasons in Madrid, and Emirates everything since 2013.

Three Real shirts from our rail

1999/2000: the third shirt, sky blue and the eighth European Cup

The Real Madrid 1999/2000 third shirt is sky blue in a ribbed fabric, with a navy polo collar trimmed in white and three navy adidas stripes running over the shoulders and down the full length of the sleeves. It is long-sleeved and comes from the adidas Equipment line. This is a non-commercial player version, with no sponsor on the chest and an EQUIPMENT label by the side seam. Real wore this kit in the 1999/2000 and 2000/01 seasons.

adidas launched the Equipment line in March 1991. It was created by Peter Moore and Rob Strasser, who had previously worked for Nike, and the line's slogan was “The Best of adidas”. On a 1999 Real shirt it is a signature saying the piece was made with the pitch in mind, not the shop shelf.

The first of those seasons ended on 24 May 2000 at the Stade de France outside Paris. Real beat Valencia 3:0 with goals from Morientes, McManaman and Raúl and won their eighth European Cup. It was the first final in the competition's history between two clubs from the same country. In the same season an 18-year-old Iker Casillas made his debut in goal, and Vicente del Bosque took over the team mid-season.

How a player version differs from a replica and how to recognise one is explained by legitcheck.pl in its guide to player issue and match worn shirts (in Polish).

2019/20: white and gold, the 34th title

The Real Madrid 2019/20 home shirt is white and gold, nothing more. The three adidas stripes on the shoulders, the Fly Emirates lettering, the adidas logo and the thin trims on the collar and sleeves share the same gold tone, while the badge stays in full colour. The neckline is round, and the fabric has a delicate ribbed texture.

Real finished the 2019/20 season with their 34th Spanish title, sealed after the pandemic break in front of empty stands: ten wins in a row after the league restarted. Karim Benzema scored 21 league goals, and Thibaut Courtois won the Trofeo Zamora for the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-against average. In January Real had also won the Spanish Super Cup.

It is also one of the last seasons with the Fly Emirates lettering. Since 2020 the sponsor has appeared as Emirates Fly Better, and that is how our 2024/25 shirt is branded. Put the two side by side and the change explains itself.

2024/25: graphite with the trefoil, Mbappé's first season

The Real Madrid 2024/25 third shirt, authentic version is graphite, with a tonal pattern woven into the fabric and a polo collar with a short placket and light trim. On the chest, instead of the usual adidas logo, sits the trefoil from the adidas Originals line, next to a light badge and the Emirates Fly Better sponsor, with an RMCF monogram on the nape. It is the authentic version in a slim fit, new, with its original tags.

The trefoil is no accident. adidas introduced it in 1972, when it started making clothing, and for years has kept it for the Originals line. On the 2024/25 third shirts it came back for the brand's 75th anniversary, and besides Real it was given to Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus and Bayern, among others.

The 2024/25 season was Kylian Mbappé's first year in Madrid: 31 league goals and the Pichichi as La Liga's top scorer. Real won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup that season.

Where to find more Real shirts

Three seasons, three completely different shirts: the turn-of-the-century sky blue, the classic white and gold, and the modern graphite. All the Real shirts currently hanging on our rail are in the Real Madrid category. Each one comes with the size from the label, flat measurements and a condition description, and we add further seasons to this post as they reach the rail.

Frequently asked questions about Real Madrid shirts

Why do Real Madrid wear white shirts?

White has been with the club since its beginnings in 1902, and London's Corinthian is most often given as the model. In 1925 Real added black to the kit for one season, but after defeats to Barcelona went back to all white and has kept to it ever since.

Why are Real Madrid called the Royals?

Because “Real” means “royal”. King Alfonso XIII granted the club the title in 1920, together with the right to a crown on the badge.

Who sponsors Real Madrid's shirts?

The airline Emirates, since 2013. Before that the chest carried, among others, Zanussi, the first sponsor in 1982, Teka in the 1990s, Siemens, BenQ and bwin.

What is Real's third shirt?

It is the third kit alongside the white home kit and the away kit. It is worn when both main colours clash with the opponent's, and for the club and the manufacturer it is also a chance for a bolder design. Two of our three shirts are exactly that: the sky blue from 1999/2000 and the graphite from 2024/25.

Since when has adidas made Real's shirts?

Since 1998. In 2015 the deal was extended for another ten years. Before that, from 1986 to 1998, Real's shirts were made by Hummel and Kelme, and in the early 1980s by adidas as well.

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