EURO 2016 - WHO WEARS YOUR FAVOURITE JERSEY?
Euro 2016 is now one week old, and each of the 24 teams will have played at least one game. With the teams in groups A to C having played their second game, there is a good chance these teams will have worn both their home and away football jersey so fans have had a good opportunity to see what the nations taking part are wearing at this summer's big football extravaganza.
But out of the jerseys that have been modelled by the likes of Payet, Vardy, Muller, Bale and Pelle, which one has caught your eye as being the most appealing? For today's Euro 2016 blog, we decided to look at the football jerseys being worn by each of the teams in the tournament and work out which would win if we looked at them in a tournament style, going right up to a final to pick the winner. Do you agree with our choice, or do you have another that you reckon is the sharpest looking of the football jerseys being worn at Euro 2016?
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Two goals so far for West Ham's Dimitri Payet has seen France qualify for the last 16. Les Bleus are also one of the best kitted out football teams at Euro 2016![/caption]
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Wes Hoolahan's goal earned Ireland a point against Sweden in their opening game of Euro 2016 and their green and white with orange trim kit harks back to the glory days of Irish football.[/caption]
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Gareth Bale celebrates in his classic looking Red and White Wales home strip. With 2 goals so far in the competition Bale is proving why he is one of the world's best football players.[/caption]
GROUP A
With a great Royal Blue/Navy Blue combination, France's home jersey sees them win Group A at a canter. Switzerland's great looking White with Red horizontal stripe pattern on the front is impressive enough to see the Swiss finish as group runners-up. 3rd place goes to Albania ahead of Romania purely on the aspect that their shirt has a bit more of a design element to it compared to the Romanian's plain yellow body with a little bit of blue and red trim at the sides.
GROUP B
Red with white stripes, a classic combination, and perfect for the Wales home football jersey for them to be group winners. England's white with denim blue raglan sleeves sees them finish 2nd to qualify for the next stage, while Russia's regal looking Burgundy jersey gets them 3rd place ahead of Slovakia.
GROUP C
They might be out of the real competition, but Ukraine's cool looking yellow with blue stripes and tonal plaid pattern is a surefire winner to top Group C with in the football jersey competition. Runners-up are Germany with a classic white with black stripe design. Not a popular colour combination for most teams, but Northern Ireland's green football jersey with navy blue sleeves is good enough to pip Poland's white and red effort to 3rd place.
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The tonal plaid pattern on Ukraine's home jersey for Euro 2016 brings to life one of the most daring designs of football jerseys at the competition.[/caption]
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Daniel Sturridge's late goal won England the points against Wales in the Nike Vapor designed England home kit.[/caption]
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The cycling team inspired jersey for Belgium is worn with style by playmaker Eden Hazard.[/caption]
GROUP D
A close group, but Turkey's home jersey in red and black with the mosaic pattern is the highlight of Group D's football jerseys. Croatia's blue away jersey is a decent enough effort to grab 2nd spot ahead of Spain's, which while nice, is too similar to previous Spanish home jerseys.
GROUP E
Belgium's red and black home football shirt is a popular choice this summer, and the yellow stripes under the arms and down the side of the body make the jersey even more appealing to fans. Italy's away jersey combines a white body with blue formstripe (with gold trim) on the shoulders, and an Italian flag design going from the neckline down the centre of the jersey. The Ireland home jersey is another great looking football jersey in green with white banding and orange trim, and shadow diagonal stripes on the body so it is good enough for 3rd place in Group E. Sweden's home football jersey may be yellow, but apart from the bright colour, the design is not exciting enough to qualify from this quality group of football tops.
GROUP F
Portugal win Group F thanks to their red and burgundy Home football jersey, with Hungary's classic looking white with red stripes and green banding away football shirt getting them 2nd place. Austria's red and white with gradient stripe pattern on the front is good enough to finish ahead of Iceland's white away jersey that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 1970's!
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Kit your football team out to look just like Wales or Hungary in the
adidas Tabela 14 Red/White jersey.[/caption]
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If France or Croatia's kits take your fancy during Euro 2016, put your team in the
Nike Energy next season for an equally impressive look![/caption]
2ND ROUND
The best 4 3rd place jerseys also make the round of 16, and our pick of the 3rd place shirts are Russia, Northern Ireland, Spain and Ireland.
The first match pits Turkey against Ireland, with the intricate design on Turkey's red Nike football jersey seeing them get through to the last eight. They are soon joined by Wales who, in a battle of understated jerseys, beat Spain. Germany are next to reach the next round as their jersey is better than the Switzerland effort's. Ukraine's yellow football jersey faces a tough battle against a well-designed Russia football jersey, but the design on the body is enough to see Ukraine make it through. The colour combination of France's home jersey sees it knock out Northern Ireland. Portugal's time in the Euro 2016 jerseys competition comes to an end at the hands of Italy's classic home jersey in Azzurri Blue with a pin-stripe design. In a battle of the white shirts, England's has a bit more detail compared to Hungary's to see the Three Lions reach the quarter finals, and they are joined by Belgium as the Red Devil's cycling inspired home jersey design beats Croatia's blue effort.
QUARTER FINALS
The Quarter Finals are where 8 of the best football shirts in European football today are all on display, with everyone of them being a great looking football jersey, so there really are no losers at this point. But for the purposes of picking a winner, there has to be shirts that leave the stage now. Turkey's journey comes to an end as they come up against a classic in Germany's home jersey. The German's white with black stripes under the arms is a great looking football jersey and inspires the Condivo 16 football jersey that you and your team can wear in your matches. Equally just as classic is the Wales home jersey which is good enough to halt the Italian's progress in the competition. Two of the wildest designs from adidas come to meet with Belgium's home jersey being too good for Ukraine, while in a battle of Nike's Vapor kit designs, France's colour choice is better than England's, so sadly it is a departure at the quarter final stage for the English, an all too familiar sight.
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Classic, stylish, the
adidas Estro 15 is perfect for those teams that want an efficient looking kit like Germany's in white with black trim and stripes.[/caption]
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Yellow and blue is the colours of Sweden's kit, and your team can wear these colours too if you opt for the
adidas Entrada 14 SS Jerseys. Great value at just £8.96 a jersey![/caption]
SEMI FINALS
The final four brings together Germany and Wales in a battle of the classic football jersey designs. With a bit more detail in the body, (Germany's jersey lists the team's performances in European Championship and World Cup competitions) the adidas made white and black football jersey makes our final. Our other semi-final is a derby match, with France taking on Belgium. With a great design in the body of the jersey, France's home shirt in blue with navy sleeves beats Belgium's adidas effort to reach the final.
FINAL
Germany versus France, two of the power-houses of European football. The finalists also bring together adidas against Nike in a battle of the team kit rivals. While they didn't have the best looking football jersey in their group, Germany's white-based football top is better than France's great looking attempt and wins our Euro 2016 favourite jersey competition.
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Bastian Schweinsteiger celebrates the news that Germany have the best football strip at Euro 2016![/caption]
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A disappointed Cristiano Ronaldo can't believe his Portugal strip isn't
Direct Soccer's favourite at Euro 2016![/caption]
So there you have it, Germany's adidas Condivo 16 inspiring football jersey is the winner in our Euro 2016 Jersey Tournament. It is a favourite of us here at Direct Soccer, along with the likes of Ukraine's home, Albania's away, Croatia's away and Wales' home jersey. But which is your favourite? Tell us on our Direct Soccer Facebook page which you like the best from those on display at Euro 2016, or even let us know which classic football jerseys from past European Championships you liked. Maybe there's a design or kit combination you would love to have your football team wearing next season, such as a blue with navy France inspired jersey, or white and black like Germany?
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