A fake football shirt often looks surprisingly real in photos. Especially if you're quickly scrolling on Vinted, Marktplaats, or an unknown webshop. However, in practice, you almost always see signs that something isn't right. You just need to know what to look for.
At De Voetbaltempel, we handle original football shirts daily. This is precisely why we can quickly spot the difference between a real shirt and a fake one. Not based on a single detail, but by thoroughly assessing the overall picture. And that's exactly where many buyers go wrong.
If you're looking for a real football shirt, these tips will help you the fastest.
Check this first
Want to quickly know if a football shirt is suspicious? Start here.
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Is the price strikingly low?
If a sought-after shirt is much cheaper than usual, it's usually not a lucky break but a warning. -
Ask for a photo of the inner label
This often contains the product code, size, manufacturing location, and extra information that you can verify. -
Google the product code
If the exact same shirt appears in Google, that's a strong sign. If something else comes up, you need to be careful. -
Check if the badge and brand logo are neatly finished
On fake shirts, these are often slightly crooked, too thick, too coarse, or not quite right in color. -
Pay attention to the fabric
A real shirt usually feels better finished, less cheap, and logically of higher quality. -
Check the seller
Vague photos, few answers, and only sales pitches are almost never a good sign.
If several of these points are incorrect, it's better to leave the shirt. Or buy it from DeVoetbaltempel!
The price often says enough
This is usually the first and easiest check. An official football shirt costs money. Especially when it concerns popular clubs, famous players, or sought-after older shirts.
If you see a shirt that is normally much more expensive, but is suddenly online for a bargain price, you should immediately be critical. This often happens with retro football shirts. People then think they have found a great deal, while in reality it is just a counterfeit.
Of course, someone can sometimes offer something too cheaply. That happens. But honestly: an extremely low price is much more often a red flag than a golden opportunity.
The product code is one of the best checks
If you only remember one practical tip from this article, let it be this one: ask for the product code.
Many shirts from Nike, adidas, Puma, and other major brands have a code on the label that belongs to that specific shirt. You can Google that code. If you then see the exact same shirt, you're often good. If you get a different shirt, a tracksuit, or nothing useful at all, then something is usually wrong.
Especially with more modern shirts, this is a very strong check. With older shirts, it can sometimes be a bit different, as labels can fade or be harder to find. But if a product code is present, it should be logical.
Many buyers skip this step, while it is precisely one of the fastest ways to filter out many fake shirts.
Don't just look at the logo
Many people look at the club logo and quickly assume it's legitimate. That's too simplistic. Fake shirts often have a logo that initially appears fine, but upon closer inspection, falls short.
- Is the logo straight?
- Are the colors correct?
- Is the embroidery neat?
- Are the edges tidy?
- Is the logo in the right place?
- Is the brand logo correct in terms of shape and proportion?
With a real football shirt, this usually feels immediately right. With a fake shirt, it's often just not quite there. Not terrible, but enough to make it look shoddy or cheap.
Also look at sponsor printing, patches, and details on the collar or sleeve. You often see discrepancies there even faster than on the main logo.
The fabric and finish reveal a lot
A real football shirt usually feels better. Simply put: the fabric looks and feels more logical. Less plastic, less cheap, less flimsy. The finish is also often neater.
Therefore, always check:
- How does the fabric feel?
- What do the seams look like?
- Are the panels neatly aligned?
- Is the finish neat or messy?
- Does the shirt feel sturdy or cheap?
With fakes, you often see that fabric quality and finish have been skimped on. You sometimes only really notice this when you have the shirt in your hands, but good close-up photos also help a lot.
With older shirts, you need to handle this smartly. A vintage shirt can have signs of wear. That is normal. The difference lies in logical wear and tear or cheap quality that was not good from the start.
The label must be logical
A label doesn't say everything, but it often says a lot. Don't just look to see if there's a label, but also whether it's logical for that brand and era.
For example, pay attention to:
- Is the font correct?
- Is the size display correct?
- Is the brand logically displayed?
- Does the label match the shirt's season?
- Is the product code in the right place?
With fake shirts, you often see strikingly frequent errors here. Incorrect formatting, strange translations, illogical material information, or a label that simply doesn't match the shirt that is supposedly being offered.
Especially if you are buying an older football shirt, this is an important point. Not because every old label has to be perfect, but because the whole thing has to be right.
Pay attention to how the seller behaves
This is often underestimated. You don't just buy a shirt; you buy it from someone. And that's often where things go wrong online.
A reliable seller:
- shows clear photos
- displays labels and details
- gives honest answers to questions
- can send additional photos
- does not remain vague about origin or condition
A suspicious seller:
- only uses stock photos
- evades questions
- only says "100% original"
- does not show a label
- mainly wants to sell quickly
On platforms like Vinted and Marktplaats, you often see that people don't really know what they're selling. Sometimes that's innocent, sometimes not. But if someone doesn't provide clear information and you already have doubts, that's usually enough reason to look further.
The fit must feel logical
The fit can also reveal a lot. A real shirt usually has a fit that matches the brand, year, and model. A fake shirt might be size L on paper, but fit like a strange mix of S and XL.
Therefore, pay attention to:
- Do the sleeves fall logically?
- Is the length correct?
- Does the collar look good?
- Are the shoulders proportionate?
- Does the fit match the season?
Important note: old football shirts often fit differently than modern shirts. Especially shirts from the nineties and early 2000s often have a looser fit. That doesn't make them suspicious. On the contrary, it's characteristic of the period.
So the question isn't whether a shirt fits differently than now. The question is whether it fits logically for that specific shirt.
With vintage shirts, you really need experience
Checking a new shirt is often easier than a vintage shirt. With new shirts, you can more easily compare, find product codes, and check details. With old shirts, you more often deal with wear and tear, faded labels, and details that may be slightly different per production year.
That's why experience is extra important with vintage football shirts. You need to know what normal aging is and what is suspicious. A slightly faded label is not necessarily wrong. An older fabric structure isn't either. But if several things at once don't feel logical, then you need to pay attention.
This is precisely where our strength lies. Because we work with original vintage football shirts every day, we don't look superficially. We look at season, brand, details, finish, and overall credibility. That makes a big difference.
This is the most important conclusion
You almost never identify a fake football shirt by a single detail. It's about the combination.
If you want to quickly check if a shirt is suspicious, use this order:
- check the price
- ask for the label
- Google the product code
- examine the logo and badge carefully
- pay attention to the fabric and finish
- assess the seller
- see if the fit seems logical
The more of these points are correct, the greater the chance that you are in good hands. The more things feel off, the greater the chance that the shirt is not original.
You buy a real football shirt with more confidence
Ultimately, you just want to buy a shirt with a good feeling. Not doubting whether you've been ripped off. Not wondering if the logo is slightly wrong after all. Not thinking afterwards that you should have looked more closely.
A real football shirt feels better, looks better, and simply remains a stronger purchase in the long run. Especially if you are looking for an older or special shirt, it pays to be critical.
At De Voetbaltempel, it's not just about beautiful shirts, but also about knowledge of what you're selling. Because a football shirt is only truly enjoyable when you are sure it's authentic.
