Ask any shirt collector to name the best Belgium jerseys of all time and you will get an argument within about thirty seconds. The Red Devils have produced some of the boldest, strangest and most beautiful kits in European football, and almost none of them play it safe.
Why Belgium wear red in the first place
Belgium’s flag is black, yellow and red, yet the national team has worn red as its primary colour since the early 1900s. The nickname Rode Duivels (Red Devils in Dutch, Diables Rouges in French) was reportedly coined by a journalist in 1906 after a run of wins in red shirts, and it stuck. That single colour choice is why Belgium shirts look so different from most European national team kits — there is no stripe, no hoop, no obvious template to fall back on. Designers have to earn attention with detail instead.
1. The 1984 European Championship shirt
The kit that every modern Belgium design eventually references. Red body, white shoulder panels, and a scattering of black and yellow diamonds across the chest — a neat way of getting the national flag onto a red shirt without turning it into a costume. It is the single most reused idea in Belgian kit history, and when collectors talk about the best Belgium jerseys of all time, this is usually the reference point everything else gets measured against.
2. The 1986 World Cup shirt in Mexico
Belgium reached the semi-finals in Mexico in 1986, losing to Diego Maradona’s Argentina, and the shirt they did it in is beautifully restrained: deep red, simple collar, no fuss. If you like the 1980s aesthetic, it sits comfortably alongside the great South American jerseys of the same tournament. That 1986 run stood as Belgium’s best World Cup finish for 32 years, which is a big part of why the shirt carries so much weight with older fans.
3. The 1990 World Cup shirt
Italia 90 gave Belgium a shirt with a faint tonal pattern across the body, the kind of detail that barely shows up on television but looks superb in the hand. Belgium topped a group containing Uruguay and Spain before going out to England in extra time. It is a proper era piece and a staple of any serious classic jerseys collection.
4. The 2014 World Cup home shirt
Brazil 2014 was the tournament where the golden generation finally arrived: Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, Kompany. The shirt was deliberately plain — flat red, black trim on the shoulders, crest and maker’s mark and nothing else. Sometimes the squad is the story, and the kit knows to get out of the way. Fans who follow those players at club level often pair it with a Premier League jersey from the same era.
5. The 2016 Euro away shirt
Divisive, and all the better for it. The white away shirt with a broad diagonal red and black sash split opinion immediately — half the fanbase called it the best thing Belgium had worn in a decade, the other half called it a fancy dress costume. A decade later it has aged into a cult favourite, which is usually how these things go with national team jerseys.
6. The 2018 World Cup shirt
Belgium finished third in Russia, their best ever World Cup result, beating Brazil along the way in one of the great modern quarter-finals. The shirt brought back the 1984 argyle-style diamonds in a tonal red-on-red pattern with a black collar, so it referenced history without copying it. Anyone building a collection around World Cup jerseys should have this one on the shortlist — it is the most successful shirt the country has ever worn.
7. The 2022 Tomorrowland flame away shirt
Easily the most talked-about Belgium kit of recent years. The away shirt used a flame gradient inspired by Tomorrowland, the Belgian dance festival, and it looked like nothing else at the tournament. It also ran into trouble with the rules on how much colour a change kit can carry, which only made fans want it more. You can read FIFA’s own tournament and equipment guidance over at FIFA.com if you want the technical side of why change kits get rejected.
8. The Tintin-inspired away shirt
Belgium is the home of Tintin, and one recent away design leaned into that comic-book heritage with a light blue base and bold graphic detailing. It is the sort of design idea that only works for one country on earth, which is exactly what makes it worth owning. Compare it with the more conservative approach taken by Germany or Italy and you see how much licence Belgium gives its designers.
9. The modern World Cup 2026 kit
For the 2026 tournament in North America, Belgium stick with the formula that works: a strong red home shirt with flag-derived detailing, and a change kit that takes a bigger swing. With the expanded 48-team format and matches spread across the USA, Canada and Mexico, this is the widest-reach World Cup ever, and demand for the red shirt will be high. Browse the current range in our Belgium jersey category, or see how it stacks up against France, Spain, Portugal and England.
How to choose your Belgium jersey
A few practical notes before you buy. First, decide between the fan version and the player version: the fan cut is roomier and more comfortable for everyday wear, the player cut is slimmer and lighter and is built for ninety minutes of running. Second, think about sizing — European national team shirts tend to run slightly trim, so if you are between sizes and want a relaxed fit, size up.
Third, consider the shirt number. Belgium’s squad numbering has been unusually stable, and a De Bruyne or Doku print will date the shirt in a good way in ten years’ time. If you would rather keep it clean, a blank shirt is always the safer long-term buy. Our FAQ page covers printing, delivery times and returns in more detail.
Where Belgium sits among the great kit nations
Belgium will never out-history Brazil or Argentina, but for sheer willingness to try something new, few countries come close. The diamonds, the sash, the flame, the comic-book blue — that is four genuinely distinct design languages in forty years. It is why the best Belgium jerseys of all time make such a satisfying collection: no two of them look alike. If you want to see that contrast for yourself, put a Belgium shirt next to a Brazil jersey or an Argentina jersey and the difference in philosophy is obvious straight away.
Shop Belgium jerseys at SideJersey
We stock Belgium home and away shirts alongside the full range of national team kits and club shirts, with UK-friendly delivery and customisation available on most jerseys. Whether you are after the current red for the summer or hunting a retro piece for the collection, start with our World Cup 2026 hub and work outwards. Want to know more about who we are and how we source? Have a look at our about us page.
