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Show your support for the Blue Tigers with our authentic India football shirts. Whether you're backing the national team through their latest campaign or celebrating their rich footballing heritage, we stock home and away kits alongside classic retro designs that honour India's storied history in Asian football.
Each shirt comes with full personalisation options, allowing you to add your name, number, or honour Indian football legends like Sunil Chhetri, Bhaichung Bhutia, and IM Vijayan. From matchday authenticity to casual fan wear, we've got your Blue Tigers pride covered.
Fast UK delivery, competitive prices, and expert personalisation services make us your first choice for India national team merchandise. Shop now and join the passionate supporters who follow the Blue Tigers across Asia and beyond.
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The India national football team, affectionately known as the Blue Tigers, has worn the nation's colours with pride since the early 20th century. The iconic blue shirt has become synonymous with Indian football, representing the colour of the Ashoka Chakra on the national flag. While saffron, white, and green were considered too controversial (being associated with neighbouring nations), blue emerged as the perfect choice and has remained the team's primary colour for decades.
Today's India kits blend cutting-edge sportswear technology with design elements that pay homage to the team's heritage. From moisture-wicking fabrics to ergonomic fits designed for peak performance in Asian climatic conditions, modern India jerseys represent the evolution of both the sport and the nation's footballing ambitions.
India's international football journey began at the 1948 London Olympics, where they made their debut as an independent nation. The team wore simple white buttoned shirts with coloured collars and plackets, paired with white shorts. This historic match against France marked the beginning of India's presence on the world stage, though the result was a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, India's golden era of Asian football, the team typically wore traditional sky blue shirts with white or black shorts. Legends like Sailen Manna (named AIFF Player of the Millennium), PK Banerjee, and Shyam Thapa wore these colours while winning gold medals at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games. During this period, kit sponsorships were uncommon, and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) produced kits in-house or through local manufacturers.
The commercialisation of Indian football saw the first branded kits emerge. Babua became an early kit supplier in 1984, followed by Umbro in 1996, who designed an elegant white jersey with the national flag colours featured on the collar and sleeve cuffs. In 2000, Sapphire Sports created one of the most distinctive India kits, featuring a vintage white jersey with 'India' text forming vertical stripes across the shirt.
In 2002, India signed their first major international kit deal with German giants Adidas. The partnership marked a significant moment for Indian football, bringing world-class design and manufacturing to the national team. Adidas introduced an all-white strip initially, before switching to a striking striped blue design in 2004. Legends including Bhaichung Bhutia, Mehtab Hossain, and Mehrajuddin Wadoo wore Adidas during this period, though inconsistent results on the pitch led to the partnership ending after four years.
On 27 February 2006, the AIFF signed a seven-year agreement with Nike that would eventually be extended to twelve years. Nike brought bold new design choices to India kits, introducing a darker shade of blue for the home shirt and changing the away kit from white to orange for the first time.
The 2008 Nike kit became legendary when India won the AFC Challenge Cup, qualifying for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup under manager Bob Houghton. This all-blue jersey with red accents marked India's return to continental football's elite competition. Nike experimented with various designs over the years, including horizontal stripes in 2013 and templates shared with other national teams like Brazil.
In September 2017, ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted in India, Nike unveiled an iconic sky blue kit with orange vertical stripes on the side panels. This design became symbolic of India's historic first-ever FIFA World Cup participation, worn by both the senior and youth teams. The orange stripe was designed to expand during movement, maximising ventilation alongside Nike's Dri-FIT technology.
In a groundbreaking move for Indian football, domestic manufacturer SIX5SIX replaced Nike as kit supplier on 17 December 2018. Significantly, SIX5SIX became the first manufacturer to actually pay the AIFF for kit rights, unlike previous international partners Adidas and Nike who had provided kits without payment.
SIX5SIX's designs featured innovative tiger stripe patterns on the sleeves, paying homage to the "Blue Tigers" nickname beloved by Indian fans. The home kit returned to the classic sky blue shade with distinctive tiger stripes, while the away jersey featured similar patterns on a white background. The goalkeeper's kit switched from light green to vibrant orange with the same sleeve design. This era saw Igor Stimac take charge as head coach, with the team competing in 2022 World Cup qualification and winning the 2023 SAFF Championship for a record ninth time.
In 2023, Reliance Retail's sportswear brand Performax partnered with the AIFF to become the official kit and merchandise sponsor. This multi-year partnership gave Performax exclusive rights to manufacture kits across all formats, supplying match, travel, and training wear for men's, women's, and youth teams. Performax has positioned itself as an affordable alternative to international brands while maintaining high-quality production standards, often manufacturing in the same facilities as premium global brands.
Perhaps the most famous India shirt in history, worn during the team's debut at the 1948 London Olympics. While myths persist about Indian players being forced to play barefoot due to poverty, the truth is more nuanced. Most players chose to play without boots as they were more comfortable and skilled playing that way, a style developed on Indian pitches. Captain Talimeren Ao famously quipped to the British press: "We play football in India, whereas you play bootball!" The team impressed crowds of 17,000 at Cricklefield Stadium despite their narrow 2-1 defeat to France, even earning an invitation to Buckingham Palace from King George VI.
The dark blue Nike shirt with red and white accents worn during India's triumphant 2008 AFC Challenge Cup campaign remains iconic among modern fans. This all-blue jersey marked the emergence of stars like Sunil Chhetri and Subrata Paul as key figures in Indian football. The victory qualified India for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, ending years of absence from major tournaments.
The first India kit designed by a domestic manufacturer featuring distinctive tiger stripe patterns on the sleeves connected deeply with fans. This design celebrated the "Blue Tigers" identity and represented Indian design and manufacturing capability on the international stage. The kit was worn during the 2023 SAFF Championship victory, where Sunil Chhetri became the second-highest Asian goalscorer of all time.
The Barefoot Football Tradition: Contrary to popular myth, India didn't withdraw from the 1950 FIFA World Cup due to FIFA banning barefoot play. The AIFF cited multiple reasons including travel costs and prioritising the Olympics. FIFA's equipment regulations only came into effect in 1953, well after India's withdrawal. The barefoot tradition continued through the 1951 Asian Games and 1952 Olympics before being abandoned after a heavy 10-1 defeat to Yugoslavia.
The Colour Politics: Blue was chosen as India's national football colour specifically because saffron and green were associated with neighbouring countries (Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively). The shade of blue represents the Ashoka Chakra from the Indian national flag, avoiding any political controversy.
First to Pay: While global giants Adidas and Nike provided India's kits without paying sponsorship fees, domestic brand SIX5SIX became the first manufacturer to actually pay the AIFF for the privilege of producing India kits, marking a significant shift in Indian football's commercial value.
Princess Margaret's Approval: After India's impressive 1948 Olympics performance, Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth II) became a fan of the team's "brave and brilliant" barefoot football display, with British media praising how the Indians gave France "a run for their money."
The Orange Revolution: Nike's decision to introduce orange as India's away colour in 2006 was a bold departure from the traditional white. Orange has since become an established part of India's kit identity, often appearing as accent colours and in goalkeeper jerseys.
Shared Templates with Brazil: During the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, India wore a Nike kit that used the same template as football giants Brazil and the Netherlands, highlighting the global design approach of major manufacturers.
The Sponsor Evolution: From no sponsorship in the 1940s-90s to partnerships with Umbro, Sapphire Sports, Adidas, Nike, SIX5SIX, and now Performax, India's kit history mirrors the commercialisation and growth of Indian football over eight decades.
Sunil Chhetri's Record-Breaking Jerseys: India's captain and talisman Sunil Chhetri has worn more different India kit designs than any other player, spanning from early Nike designs through to current Performax shirts, while scoring over 90 international goals to become one of Asia's greatest-ever strikers.
At UK Soccer Shop, we stock a range of official India national team football shirts. Whether you're looking for the latest Performax home and away kits or hunting for classic retro designs from Nike and Adidas eras, our collection celebrates the full spectrum of Blue Tigers history.
Make your India shirt truly unique with our professional personalisation services. Add official lettering and numbering to match the style worn by your favourite players, or create a custom shirt with your own name and number. We offer:
Official font and numbering styles
Player names including Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Custom personalisation with any name and number
Premium heat-press application for durability
If you're a fan of Asian football, explore our wider collection of Asian football shirts, including rivals and neighbours such as Pakistan football shirts, Bangladesh football shirts, and Nepal football shirts. We also stock shirts from India's frequent opponents in competitions including Maldives, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.
For fans interested in major Asian football powers that India faces in World Cup qualifying, check out our collections from Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
Looking beyond Asia? Browse our complete international football shirts collection featuring teams from every continent including European football shirts.
Shop India football shirts today and join the Blue Tigers family.
