For anyone who grew up in England in the 90s, the summer of 1996 is still the gold standard. The country hosted its first major tournament since 1966, Wembley was rocking, and for a few weeks it genuinely felt like football was coming home. The shirts England wore that summer have become some of the most loved kits ever made.
The Euro 96 home shirt
Umbro's home shirt was a clean white design with navy and red detailing, a confident, modern look for a team that finally lived up to the hype. It was the shirt of Paul Gascoigne's wonder goal against Scotland, flicking the ball over Colin Hendry before volleying past Andy Goram, and of the 4-1 demolition of Holland, the best England performance in a generation.
Alan Shearer finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals, Teddy Sheringham was at his creative best, and Tony Adams and Stuart Pearce led from the back. Pearce's roar after his penalty against Spain in the quarter-final is one of the defining images of English football.
Shop the England Euro 96 home shirt or the long sleeve version.
The grey away shirt
If the home shirt was the classic, the away shirt was the cult hero. Umbro's grey (some call it indigo) design was unlike anything England had worn before, and it was the shirt England wore in the semi-final against Germany at Wembley on 26 June 1996.
Shearer headed England ahead inside three minutes, Kuntz equalised, and Gascoigne came within inches of a golden goal winner in extra time. It went to penalties, and Germany went through. Heartbreaking at the time, but the shirt has only grown in status since, worn at five-a-side pitches, festivals and pubs up and down the country.
Shop the England Euro 96 grey away shirt.
Why Euro 96 shirts are still so popular
Part of it is nostalgia: Three Lions on the radio, Skinner and Baddiel, the Dentist's Chair celebration. Part of it is the design itself. Simple, bold Umbro kits from before shirts became cluttered with logos and graphics. And part of it is that Euro 96 was the last time an England team captured the whole country's imagination in quite the same way, until the more recent runs of the 2018 World Cup and the Euros.
Personalise your Euro 96 shirt
Every England shirt at OldFooty can be personalised with any name and number. Popular choices are Gascoigne 8, Shearer 9, Sheringham 10 and Pearce 3, or your own name. Want the earlier classic too? Have a look at the England Italia 90 home shirt or browse every retro England shirt in our collection.
Free worldwide shipping on every order, and our Buy 2, get 1 free offer applies automatically at checkout.