NIKE PRODUCT CODE
Most of the modern day shirts have product codes attached to them so it's the easiest way to legit check the football shirt. Early 2000s and modern Nike shirts have introduced Product codes on them to avoid counterfeit shirts. The modern shirts code consist of a 6-digit character, followed by a dash and another 3-digit number — whereas early 00s shirts only consist of a 6-digit number.
Here are a few example of the legit product codes given below.
It is also very common for Nike shirts to have fakes too. It is very wise to be cautious and check each and every piece before purchasing any Nike shirts. The most common codes used on fake shirts are '518730-703' and 'CV7891-428' — the first code belongs to a 'Brazil 2013 Home' shirt and the second one belongs to a 'Barcelona 2021 Home' shirt. Please note that there are more fake codes being used on counterfeit shirts which have not been mentioned here.
90s Nike shirts are mostly manufactured in the UK and Portugal. Early 00s are mostly based in Morocco, Indonesia and Portugal whereas Modern Nike shirts are mostly manufactured in Georgia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka and China.
Here are some pictures below of the two codes being used on fake shirts we have come across so far.
NIKE LOGO
The basic NIKE SWOOSH! It is very important to check the logo before judging the authenticity of the shirt.
Authentic Nike shirts feature a logo that is cleanly stitched or printed, with sharp edges, consistent spacing, and high-quality materials. In contrast, fake shirts often have logos that are slightly off in shape, size, or positioning, and may show signs of poor stitching, fading, or irregularities.
OLD NIKE SHIRTS
Old Nike shirts are quite easy to legit check especially during the late 1990s era as they have a specific code on the wash care label.
Start by examining the tags — authentic Nike jerseys from this period typically feature sewn-in tags with the classic red and white Nike logo, along with "Made in U.S.A." or early manufacturing countries like Korea or Mexico. The font and stitching on these tags should be clean and consistent.
Material-wise, genuine jerseys from this era were often made with heavier mesh or nylon blends, and the screen printing or stitched numbers should show signs of age but not poor-quality application. Check the inside of the jersey for proper labeling of size, care instructions, and fabric content, which were often screen-printed directly onto the material or found on a secondary tag. Additionally, research the specific team and season to ensure that colors, striping, and font styles match what was actually worn on the field during that time.
Comparing to verified vintage examples or old catalogs can also help validate authenticity or trusted collector sources from specific Facebook's Football Shirt Legit Check groups — as reference images can help verify everything from sponsor placement to number font.
Here are some samples of tags of football shirts from the 80s and 90s below.
CUT/WORN OFF TAGS
There are some cases where the previous owners of the shirts cut off either the wash care tags or the neck tag due to irritation of their placement. In such cases, there are a few chances we can identify the authenticity of such shirts from the stitching, logo placement and fabric used.
Do reach out to us if you have doubts regarding such shirts. We will try our best to help you verify the authenticity of your shirt.