Retro Mexico Shirt – El Tri's Green Glory Through the Decades

Mexico's World Cup story is one of the longest and most storied in international football. El Tri have qualified for the FIFA World Cup a record-breaking 17 times, a testament to their dominance of the CONCACAF region and their enduring place among the global elite. They famously hosted the tournament twice – in 1970 and again in 1986 – and both editions produced moments etched permanently into football folklore.

The 1970 World Cup in Mexico gave the world arguably the greatest tournament in history, with Pelé's Brazil lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy in a blaze of attacking brilliance. Mexico progressed from their group but fell to Italy in the quarter-finals. The Azteca was already established as one of football's great cathedrals.

By 1986, Mexico was ready to shine again as host. The tournament produced the Hand of God, the Goal of the Century, and a Mexican team that captured the hearts of their nation. El Tri reached the quarter-finals, where they were agonisingly eliminated by West Germany on penalties – a gut-punch that still resonates for Mexican fans of a certain age.

The 1990s and 2000s brought the era of the famous 'quinto partido' curse – Mexico's seemingly endless run of Round of 16 exits. Between 1994 and 2018, El Tri reached the last sixteen at every World Cup they entered, but never once advanced beyond it. The heartbreaks mounted: Argentina in 2006, Argentina again in 2010, Argentina once more in 2014. The rivalry with La Albiceleste became one of international football's great recurring dramas.

In the 2022 World Cup, Mexico failed to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1978 – a seismic shock to a nation that had grown accustomed to at least reaching the knockout rounds. It marked a moment of genuine reflection for Mexican football.

In CONCACAF, however, Mexico's dominance has been near-total. They have won the CONCACAF Gold Cup a record twelve times, asserting themselves as the region's superpower decade after decade. Their rivalry with the United States has intensified in recent years, adding a compelling new chapter to El Tri's continental story.

Mexico has produced a remarkable lineage of footballers who have lit up both domestic and international football. The names span generations and positions, but all share the qualities that define El Tri at their best – flair, technical brilliance, and an unshakeable sense of national pride.

Hugo Sánchez is the greatest Mexican footballer of all time by almost any measure. The striker forged his legend at Real Madrid during the 1980s, finishing as La Liga's top scorer five times in a row and becoming one of the most lethal centre-forwards in European football. His trademark bicycle kicks and acrobatic finishes made him a global star, and his performances for Mexico during the 1986 World Cup on home soil remain the stuff of legend.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco is perhaps Mexico's most beloved player of his generation – a mercurial, unpredictable attacking midfielder who played with joy and invention. His 'Cuauhtemiña' move, bouncing the ball between his feet to bypass defenders, became one of the most iconic individual skills in World Cup history, demonstrated memorably at France 1998.

Rafael Márquez is El Tri's most decorated player in the modern era, a commanding centre-back who captained Mexico at four consecutive World Cups (2002–2014) and enjoyed a glittering club career at Barcelona. Cool, intelligent, and utterly composed, Márquez brought world-class defending to the heart of Mexico's backline for nearly two decades.

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández became Mexico's all-time top scorer, a poacher of exceptional instinct who thrived at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Bayer Leverkusen. His goals for El Tri – including a crucial strike against France at the 2010 World Cup – made him a national hero.

The Mexico national team shirt is one of the most recognisable in world football. The vivid emerald green of the home kit has remained the constant thread through decades of design evolution, instantly evoking El Tri wherever it appears in the world.

The shirts of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup eras are among the most sought-after by collectors. Simple, classic, and iconic – the green shirts worn on home soil carry an emotional weight that few kits can match. The minimalist designs of those years, with the bold green body and the Mexican Football Federation crest, have an elegance that still looks striking today.

Through the 1990s and into the 2000s, the Mexico shirt evolved with the times. Adidas became a long-term partner and introduced more elaborate design elements – the Aztec-inspired patterns and geometric motifs that referenced Mexico's extraordinary pre-Columbian heritage. The 1998 France World Cup shirt, with its distinctive collar and patterned detail, remains one of the most beloved retro Mexico shirts among serious collectors.

The away kits – predominantly white with green and red trim – have their own devoted following, particularly the designs worn during the tournament runs of the 1990s and early 2000s. The combination of the white shirt with the tricolour accents is clean, bold, and unmistakably Mexican.

With 27 retro Mexico shirts available in our shop, you can find examples spanning multiple eras of El Tri history, each one a wearable piece of footballing heritage.