5 Ways to Spot a Fake Football Shirt in 2021
Dec 31, 2020, by Pat
Despite the best efforts from the likes of Adidas, Puma or Nike, it seems that fake shirts are becoming more and more prevalent.
Inspired by the recent trend of fake sellers appearing much more openly on social media, as well as the rise of individuals selling fakes on sites like Ebay or Depop, we wanted to take a closer look at the five easiest way to determine whether such a listing is showing a fake.
TLDR, five good ways to determine whether a shirt is fake are
- Price
- Product SKU
- Embroidery & Logos
- Sketchy Online Stores
- Seams
1. Price
The number one giveaway of fakes is the price - if a recently released shirt is sold for less than half its regular price on reputable sites like Kitbag or Unisport, it will in all likelihood be a fake.
Fake stores also tend to have all shirts priced at very similar prices, which is also highly unusual.
2. Product SKU
Each football shirt, or product in general, is assigned a SKU (Stock keeping unit), which can be very useful to determine if a shirt is fake or not - especially if you have it in your hands already.
You can find the SKU on the tag that comes with the shirt. A great way to make sure it's the correct one is to Google it together with the maker of the product.
For example, here we have a tag from the Bayern 20-21 home shirt - featuring its SKU FR8358.
If we enter this into Google, the results are almost exclusively pictures and product listings for this jersey.
Another inaccuracy often found with the fakes included with fake shirts is that they feature a generic product name - instead of e.g. "FCB H JSY", the tag just says "ADIDAS JSY" - a clear giveaway of a fake.
Clubs launching new kits = fakes ⛔ unfortunately. Great tip to avoid fake Nike kits, is the use of style code 819092-014. This is used regularly by counterfeiters. If it's on the swing tag/care label, you have a fake! #fridayfake #footballagainstfakes #ip #counterfeit pic.twitter.com/JELONQfJ8U
— Back Four Brand Protection (@BackFourBP) August 14, 2020
3. Embroidery & Logos
Embroidered logos are often also easy giveaways of fake shirts. If a logo is looking very sketchy - either in its shape or because the different elements or fonts are off, it's most likely a fake.
Unfortunately, the recent rise of heat-applied plastic crests, which are easier to copy for fake producers, has made this a less reliable indicator.
4. Sketchy Online Stores
If you are an experienced shopper, you can probably easily tell apart a sketchy fake store from a proper one.
Unprofessional designs, low-quality header pictures, are also unlikely to be found on a legitimate site with professionals working on it.
Inconsistent product pictures - taken from different legitimate sites, as seen here on UK Soccer Shop, are also an indicator that something could be off.
If you are unsure, look up the name of the store online, or look for an address or contact details on the site. Chances are you'll find a ton of negative reviews or the store will not list an address or responsible person at all.
5. Seams
The quality of fake shirts is usually subpar and very far from what you'd get with a real shirt. It's no surprise really since fakes are often sold for under €10 wholesale and the producers of course still want to make a profit.
Seams on fakes are badly executed and you can often see the end of the thread sticking out. It's also common to see seams that are not straight at all, or have fabric stretching next to them. This happens due to cheap machinery being user, untrained workers or a lack of care in general.
Recommended Stores
To close things, here's a list of online stores selling football shirts that we recommend.
Contemporary
Classic
We hope that this guide will help you to avoid ever buying a fake football shirt again. Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.
And if you're interested in even more details, make sure to also check our in-depth look at comparing a fake with the actual Dortmund 110th anniversary shirt, which is one of the most popular fakes in recent times.
AJ Auxerre 26-27 Third Kit Released
French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre and technical partner Macron have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 season. The new release completes Auxerre's set of match wear for the campaign, following the earlier launches of their retro-inspired home kit and black away strip.
The Macron Auxerre 2026-27 third jersey is predominantly blue and centers around a broad vertical navy stripe running down the middle, framed by two thin white boundary lines. In a centrally aligned setup, both the white Macron Hero and the AJ Auxerre crest are applied in silicone on the navy chest panel. A navy crew neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs feature contrasting white tipping, while "AJ AUXERRE" is embroidered in white on the upper back neck.
Matching blue shorts featuring navy and white edge striping and blue socks with a navy band topped by white trim round off the look.
Special FC Metz Robert Pirès 26-27 Testimonial Kit Released
French club FC Metz and kit supplier Kappa have officially unveiled a limited-edition collector's shirt to celebrate the testimonial match of club icon Robert Pirès, set to take place on October 6, 2026, at the Stade Saint-Symphorien.
The special jersey pays homage to Metz's memorable 1996 kit, the season Les Grenats lifted the Coupe de la Ligue with Pirès playing a central role. Reinterpreting the distinct graphic side motif of that era, the shirt features a rich garnet base paired with an intricate geometric graphic panel running down the side, an elegant white polo collar, and a centrally placed Kappa Omini logo alongside the club's traditional Lorraine cross crest. The back showcases Pirès' famous name and number 7 in a retro font, completed by a commemorative jocktag patch at the hem.
The limited-edition jersey is available for pre-order in strictly limited numbers via Metz's online store. It will be donned on pitch during the testimonial event, which brings together legends from Metz, Arsenal, and the France national team to celebrate the career of the 1998 World Cup winner where his professional journey first began.
Brighton Become First Team to Wear Anniversary Kit in the Premier League in 18 Years
In their recent 3-0 victory over Arsenal, Brighton debuted a special 125th-anniversary kit, making them the first team since Manchester United in 2008 (who marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster) to wear a commemorative jersey in the Premier League.
Clause 13, Section M of the Premier League regulations strictly limits clubs to three registered kits per season, making special exemptions exceptionally rare.
Other kit exemptions over the years have been few and far between: Man City wore a one-off gold sponsor detail on the final day to celebrate their title triumph in the last match of the 20-21 season, while Newcastle had to turn a pre-match tee into an official match kit to fix an emergency kit clash against Brighton in 22-23.
Thanks to our partner @whatthekit_x for the interesting spotted and the collage.
To Never Be Worn: TSV 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest Kit Released
The new TSV 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest kit has been officially released by Joma through the club's merchandising company. However, mirroring the previously revealed 26-27 home shirt, this special Wiesn design will never be worn in an official match. Following the insolvency of the club's professional division and forced relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern, 1860 München severed ties with Joma and partnered with local Munich supplier Societas for their on-pitch kits.
The Joma 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest jersey presents a classic Bavarian aesthetic based on a clean white shirt. Running vertically down the left side beneath the crest is a light blue and white Bavarian rhombus pattern, framed on both sides by delicate floral vine graphics reminiscent of traditional Trachten embroidery. A dark navy V-neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs complete the look, while the inside neck is detailed with Munich's famous "O'zapft is" festival motto. The front displays the traditional embroidered black lion badge with a championship star, accompanied by dark branding from Joma and primary sponsor die Bayerische.
Brazilian Clubs Defend Betting Sponsors
Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos have joined forces with the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) and other Brazilian football bodies to push back against possible restrictions on betting, warning that major changes could have a serious financial impact on the sport.
The reaction comes as the Brazilian government prepares a possible executive order to ban online casino operations, while further restrictions on sports betting are still being discussed. Clubs are concerned that tighter rules could put existing sponsorship deals and an important source of football revenue at risk.
And the numbers show why. 13 of the 20 Série A clubs currently have a betting company as their main shirt sponsor, with the combined value of these deals estimated at more than R$1 billion per season. Flamengo (Betano), Fluminense (Superbet), Botafogo (Vbet), Palmeiras (Sportingbet), Corinthians (Esportes da Sorte), São Paulo (Superbet)...
The debate comes as major European leagues have moved in the opposite direction. Italy introduced a broad ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship in 2018, while Spain introduced strict restrictions covering betting advertising and shirt sponsorships from the 2021-22 season. In England, Premier League clubs agreed to remove gambling sponsors from the front of matchday shirts from the 2026-27 season, although other forms of gambling partnerships remain possible.
What do you think of Brazilian clubs pushing back against possible betting restrictions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
