Introduction
FC Barcelona, home of the greatest players in football history, is globally recognized for their iconic Blue and Garnet (Blaugrana) which they have fashioned for decades. However, there are also a multitude of timeless away kits and third kits which live long in the memory of the Barça crowd.
Today, I will be ranking the top 5 Barça away kits/third kits worn since the beginning of the 2014/15 season (when I was old enough to watch Barça play). This list is entirely based on my opinion, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments of this post.
Number 5 - 2024/25 Away Kit
The 2024/25 season has been a rollercoaster ride; however, Hansi Flick's style of play has certainly brought back the flair Barça lacked under Xavi's management.
This season, Barça have been wearing a majority black Nike away kit, which features a blue and red stripe down each side (separately). Further, a simple and clean red Spotify logo makes up the middle portion of the kit, with the Barça crest uniquely aligned centrally as well. I personally love this kit and believe it will become a classic due to its simplicity and minimalist design, which largely stems from its black color, the uniquely placed Barça crest, and the simplicity of the advertising.
Number 4 - 2020/21 Away Kit
A very similar kit to that of Barça's current away kit (as of 2024/25 season) is the away kit made by Nike for Barça's 2020/21 season. It featured a black color with gold accents around the collar, sleeves, and logos. This made it a very simplistic yet eye-catching design. One minor issue with this kit is the Rakuten logo, which is not as simplistic and clean as the current Spotify logo; however, the gold detailing still puts this away kit slightly above that of the 2024/25 season.
This kit brings memories of a bittersweet Barça season, in which Messi played his last game for the club, but also won the Copa Del Ray, thrashing Athletic Bilbao 0-4 in the final while grabbing himself 2 goals in the process.
Number 3 - 2014/15 Third Kit
Wow, the 2014/15 season, the greatest Barça season I have had the personal privilege of watching. Upon seeing this kit, my mind instinctively flashes back to Neymar, who fashioned the kit in his exceptional performances against Bayern Munich and PSG away in the Champions League: helping Barça win their second ever treble — something Real Madrid has never achieved.
This particular Nike third kit features neon-green coloring highlighted by black accents, allowing it to stand out on the pitch. Moreover, it adorns a buttoned collar along with the iconic Qatar Airways Barça sponsor. Overall, this kit is not as elegant or beautiful as the last two mentioned; that said, it holds a special place in all Barça fans hearts as it reminds us of the iconic performances by the famed MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) trio which led Barça to all three major trophies that season.
Number 2 - 2021/22 Third Kit
The 2021/22 Barça season was the most disastrous season in Barça's recent history. With Barça legend Ronald Koeman at the helm to begin the season and Lionel Messi at PSG, we sat in the bottom half of the La Liga table for a couple of months. Furthermore, we were grouped in the UCL in a group which featured Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv, and Bayern Munich. All in all, this season would have been an absolute embarrassment if the appointment of Xavi as head coach, along with the key transfer of club hero Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not take place, turning the second-half of the season around.
Despite Barça's performance in the 2021/22 season, the third kit was absolutely brilliant. It featured the classic blue and claret, along with the Rakuten sponsor. What made this kit so special was its tribute to the culture of Barcelona as a city. Each of the 5 separate stripes on the kit featured five iconic Barcelona neighborhoods: Poble-sec, Poble Nou, Gràcia, Raval, and Les Corts. Each of the stripe designs highlights notable landmarks and architecture from each neighborhood created by young aspiring Barcelona artists. Overall, despite the horrendous season (with the exception of the famous 0-4 win at the Bernabeu), this kit remains one of my favorite ever Barça kits.
Number 1 - 2019/20 Third Kit
The 2019/20 season was not a great one, as Barça went the whole season without a trophy for the first time since the 2013/14 season. With Ernesto Valverde being sacked midway through the season and the appointment of Quique Setién, things were very chaotic at the club, ultimately affecting the players' performance on the pitch. Even the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, managed only 31 goals this season (not great by his standards), highlighting Barça's lack of fluidity in attack.
Similar to the 2021/22 season, the results on the pitch do little to affect my thoughts on this kit. Oddly enough, this kit is barely mentioned on the internet, so maybe it's an acquired taste. However, to me, the vibrant teal color, classy two-toned collar, and clear inspiration from the 1993/94 Barça away kit make this a kit to remember, and the best away kit/third kit of the last decade.
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