Why La Liga Teams Are Playing in Retro Shirts This Weekend — A First for European Football

A Weekend of Nostalgia

Thirty-eight of the 42 teams in Spain's top two divisions will play in retro shirts this weekend in a celebration of each club's cultural identity and history — a first for any of Europe's top five football leagues.

The kits are inspired by iconic looks from the past and pay homage to each club's fan traditions. Only Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Real Madrid will not take part — Barcelona, Rayo and Getafe citing logistical reasons (though they are still involved in the broader campaign), while Real Madrid are not participating at all.

More Than Just Shirts

The retro weekend goes beyond the kits:

• Referees will wear a special vintage kit
• Television broadcast graphics will be styled as a throwback to decades past
• A vintage-style match ball will be used throughout the weekend's matches

The kits were unveiled on 19 March at Madrid Fashion Week as part of a collaboration between football and fashion — positioning La Liga at the intersection of sport and culture.

Why Is La Liga Doing This?

La Liga director Jaime Blanco said the occasion is a unique way of tapping into the history and traditions of its clubs.

"It allows us to bring the past into the present while continuing to build experiences and strengthen the legacy that emotionally connects with supporters," he said.

"Presenting this collection during Spain's leading fashion week is the perfect platform to project that identity beyond the field and position soccer at the heart of the cultural and creative conversation."

Football's Growing Obsession With Nostalgia

La Liga is not alone in looking backwards. Italian club Juventus recently revealed a retro-inspired fourth kit, Liverpool released a collection inspired by shirts from the 1960s to the famous 2005 Champions League kit, and Arsenal's iconic 1991-92 "banana" kit was reinterpreted for a recent away shirt.

Adidas's 2026 World Cup away jerseys feature the original Trefoil badge for the first time in 36 years, in a deliberate nod to the classic 1990s look.

Jordan Clarke, founder of Footballerfits — an Instagram platform exploring the link between football and fashion — says the trend reflects something bigger than sport:

"Nostalgia is something in society, not just in football. A lot of people look back fondly at times during their lives, when they were maybe younger, and there was less worry in the world. Football is just a microcosm of how society feels."

When to Watch

The retro round takes place across this weekend's La Liga and Segunda División fixtures. If you're in Spain and want to see your local team in their throwback kit, check La Liga's official schedule for exact kick-off times.

This article is based on reporting from BBC Sport, published April 8, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.