Soccer Jerseys After the Match: Where Do They Go?

Soccer Jerseys After the Match: The Journey of Match-Worn Kits

Once the final whistle blows, soccer jerseys after the match rarely just end up forgotten in a corner. Instead, each team’s locker room is filled with match-worn kits that must be sorted, washed, and repurposed. Some jerseys become prized souvenirs, some are auctioned for charity, and many are cleaned and reused. This article follows the entire journey of a soccer jersey after the game: we’ll explain the post-game locker-room routine, the jersey swap tradition, and how used kits are recycled or donated. By combining expert insights and real-world examples, we’ll answer the big question: what happens to soccer jerseys after the match?

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Figure: A match-worn soccer jersey (red and white, Stourbridge FC) after the game. These kits are collected by the kit staff, cleaned, and often given new life rather than thrown away.

After every game, professional players leave their jerseys in the post-match locker room, and the team’s kit manager takes over. The kit manager’s duties extend far beyond simply washing shirts; they collect every used kit, repair any damage, and prepare uniforms for future use. Meanwhile, players may swap shirts with opponents or toss them to fans as souvenirs. Finally, old or excess jerseys are often donated to charity, auctioned, or recycled. Over the next sections, we’ll dive into each step of this process — from player traditions to environmental initiatives — to show that soccer jerseys after the match have many second lives.

Jersey Swap Tradition: Souvenirs and Respect

One of the most iconic sights at a match’s end is players exchanging shirts on the field. The jersey swap tradition is a long-standing sign of respect and camaraderie in football. As BBC Sport notes, “shirt swapping has long been a tradition in football,” with many players proud of the impressive collections they build from matchesbbc.com.

Respect Between Players: After the final whistle, it’s customary for two players who admire each other’s skills to swap jerseys. For example, Lionel Messi and Neymar famously traded shirts after games; some players even joke about bringing extra jerseys just to hand out. Former England star Wayne Rooney once said he always respected any opponent who asked for his shirt – and he’d keep that opponent’s shirt as a souvenir. This respectful exchange often happens before players head into the locker room.
Fan Souvenirs: Instead of exchanging with opponents, a player may give or throw his jersey to a fan in the crowd. Gifted shirts become treasured keepsakes for supporters, especially children. Stadiums occasionally erupt with chants hoping a star will push their shirt over the railing, and many players happily comply.
Personal Collections: Some players accumulate huge troves of jerseys. Messi, for instance, has revealed rooms lined with framed jerseys he’s swapped over the years. Even coaches and staff sometimes keep shirts; former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué framed the jersey he swapped with a Dutch player after the 2010 World Cup final. These collections demonstrate that swapped jerseys are often treated as personal memorabilia.

Clubs and leagues have even built on this tradition. For example, Major League Soccer teamed with Twitter to honor a fan each match weekend with a game-worn jersey. Fans could nominate someone doing good in the community and the winner would receive a match shirt from his favorite team. MLS also sells special jerseys made from recycled materials (Adidas PRIMEBLUE) tied into this campaign.

Post-Match Locker Room & Kit Manager Duties

As players celebrate or recover, the team’s kit manager springs into action in the locker room. The kit manager (and staff) collects all match-used jerseys and prepares them for the next steps. According to soccer equipment experts, this process typically works as follows:

Collecting the Kits: Immediately after the game, every uniform (jersey, shorts, socks) worn by players is gathered. The kit room can be chaotic with dozens of dirty kits piled up. The kit manager counts and checks off each player’s gear.
Washing and Laundry: All collected jerseys are sent to laundry. In professional clubs, special detergents and washing protocols are used to remove grass stains, sweat, and occasional blood. This ensures players have fresh, clean jerseys ready for training or the next match. Kits are usually washed the same day; for example, Liverpool’s staff mentions washing gear daily so it’s ready by morning training.
Repairs and Replacements: The kit manager inspects each jersey for damage. Small tears or loose seams are stitched up immediately. If a jersey is badly torn or damaged (for instance, a shirt ripped during a slide tackle), the club will replace it. In some leagues, referees even demand a jersey change if it’s bloodied or torn.
Inventory and Preparation: The kit staff maintains an inventory of all kits. They ensure each player’s name and number are correct and that there are backup jerseys for every need. After cleaning and repair, kits are sorted and placed in players’ lockers or packed for upcoming games. Before every match, the kit manager lays out each player’s full kit (jersey, shorts, socks, warm-ups) exactly as requested. This careful organization is part of the player kit routine behind the scenes.

In amateur and youth teams, similar routines occur but on a smaller scale. Often, a volunteer kitman washes and reuses the same jerseys multiple times. For instance, a local league might use the same shirt for home games all season, laundering it after each match. But at the professional level, managers typically have multiple new kits per season and focus more on souvenir and recycling aspects than on reusing the exact same shirt for another game. As one source notes, top clubs might only reuse a match shirt a few times (for training or reserves) before it’s retired, whereas smaller clubs try to wash kits “over 50 times” to save costs.

How Many Jerseys Does Each Player Use?

Pro players rarely use just one shirt per match. In fact, it’s common for each player to bring two or three jerseys to the stadium:

Primary Kit: The official jersey for that match (home, away, or alternate kit, depending on colors).
Change Kit: An identical spare in case the first one becomes too dirty or bloody. For example, if the main jersey gets grass stains or injury blood, officials may require the player to switch shirts immediately.
Third Spare: Some players even bring a third jersey for emergencies. Notably, stars like Cristiano Ronaldo or David Beckham have been reported to arrive with three identical kits, swapping into a fresh one at halftime for sponsorship reasons or personal comfort.

If a player only brings one jersey and it must be changed mid-game, the kit manager would scramble for an extra. Having multiple jerseys avoids that chaos. After the game, any unused extra jerseys (home or away) are also collected by the staff for laundry and storage.

Washing, Reuse, and Kit Recycling

Once cleaned, what happens to the jerseys? The industry now focuses heavily on sustainability and reuse: football kit disposal is shifting away from wasteful practices. Here are common paths for used soccer jerseys:

Training Gear: Many clubs repurpose washed match jerseys for training sessions. A shirt that has a few games on it can still be worn in practice. This extends the life of the kit. For example, a top-flight team might take last month’s match jerseys and give them to the reserves or youth academy for training drills.
Official Auctions and Sales: Clubs often raise money by selling match-worn jerseys. English clubs like Chelsea operate official sites (e.g. MatchWornShirt.com) where fans can buy unique game-worn jerseys and get certificates of authenticity. High-profile examples include a Chelsea home shirt worn by Cole Palmer when he scored four goals; this shirt was auctioned for a staggering £34,000 to benefit charity. These channels turn worn jerseys into valuable memorabilia.
Charity Donations: Players and clubs regularly donate jerseys to charitable causes. During charity matches or events, fans might bid on a signed match shirt. Nonprofit organizations such as KitAid or Kits for the World collect used kits from clubs and distribute them to underprivileged players globally. For instance, Kits for the World encourages fans and teams to donate “new or pre-loved football shirts” to empower youth in underserved areas. These programs “extend the life of official kits” and promote social good.
Grassroots Donations: Some teams partner with environmental initiatives. Arsenal’s “Great Save” campaign (part of Green Football) set up donation bins at the Emirates Stadium for fans to drop off old kits. The goal was to keep sportswear “in play for longer” by donating, reusing, or upcycling. Such drives collect thousands of jerseys for recycling or redistribution, reducing landfill waste.
Upcycling Projects: Innovative programs transform old kits into new products. The UNLOAD Project in Australia collects unwanted jerseys and either upcycles them into new sportswear or donates them to charities. Nike and other brands have launched similar initiatives. For example, the Manchester City “RE:JERSEY” program works with PUMA to break down kits into yarn for new shirts, supporting a circular apparel model. In short, materials from old jerseys can be reprocessed into fresh fabric.

Overall, the emphasis is on keeping jerseys out of the landfill. For context, Arsenal reports that 100,000 tonnes of sportswear end up in UK landfills every year (about 951 shirts per minute). By contrast, reusing or recycling those shirts – even for just a few extra months – can cut their carbon, water, and waste footprint by up to 30%. Encouragingly, clubs and fans are increasingly aware of this. Programs like Kits for the World explicitly aim to “reduce textile waste and extend the life of official kits through ethical reuse and up-cycling”.

Souvenirs, Auctions, and Fan Engagement

A special category is match jerseys kept as souvenirs. Sometimes, a player will give his shirt directly to a fan or a local hero. Stories abound of kids running onto the pitch to hug a player and receiving the signed jersey afterwards. These spontaneous acts of generosity create lifelong memories.

Officially, teams also engage fans with match jerseys. Many clubs auction or raffle special jerseys to raise funds or reward supporters. For example, a charity auction might feature a World Cup–worn shirt or a final-game jersey signed by the team. These events usually occur at season’s end or around holidays. From the fans’ perspective, buying an authentic match jersey (often “worn 1 time”) is a thrilling way to own a piece of football history.

Technical and Environmental Stats

To appreciate the impact, consider some numbers highlighted by clubs:

Massive Kit Waste: Arsenal notes that 100,000 tonnes of sportswear end up in UK landfills each year.
Cancelled Matches: Climate change is already affecting the game — the FA estimates 120,000 grassroots matches are canceled annually due to extreme weather. By 2050, one in four English clubs could face stadium flooding.
Sustainability Gains: Keeping each kit “in play” just nine extra months can reduce its carbon footprint by about 30%. In other words, if we all avoided replacing jerseys too soon (e.g., swapping out an entire season’s kit in February instead of June), the environmental savings would be significant.

These figures reinforce why recycling and donation programs matter. Fans can do their part by donating old jerseys or buying officially recycled kits. Some brands now offer jerseys made from post-consumer waste (e.g., Adidas PRIMEBLUE made with ocean plastic). Such choices give jerseys a longer life before they become waste.

Player Kit Routine and Costs

One lesser-known detail is that players often pay for the jerseys they give away. Clubs count jerseys as merchandise, so when a player gifts or swaps a shirt with an opponent, the cost is typically deducted from his salary. Former Manchester United player Ben Forshaw noted that Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly spent tens of thousands of pounds buying his own jerseys to give away, since he couldn’t afford to keep giving them for free. To avoid that expense, some players simply donate their match shirts to charity auctions instead of handing them out.

Aside from that, players have their own habits. Many pros cherish certain jerseys: a player might save the one from his debut or a record-breaking match. These get framed or kept in a personal collection. On the flip side, if a player had a bad game, his jersey might not hold sentimental value. In all cases, though, the jersey ultimately goes to the kit room for processing, and the pattern repeats for the next match.

Engagement & Call-to-Action

Now that you know where soccer jerseys go after the match, we’d love to hear from you! Have you ever caught a player’s shirt or won one in a charity auction? Share your story in the comments below. If you found this article helpful, please share it on social media – your friends and fellow fans might learn something new about the game.

Every share and comment boosts visibility, helping spread the word about sustainable kit practices in football. Encourage others to recycle or donate their old jerseys, and tag a friend who’d be excited to get a match-worn shirt! The beautiful game lives on both on the pitch and off it through traditions like jersey swaps and community programs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What happens to soccer jerseys right after a game?
A: Immediately after the game, spare jerseys are often swapped with opponents or given to fans. Meanwhile, the team’s kit staff collects all worn jerseys from the locker room and sends them to laundry. Any damage is repaired so the jerseys can be reused or repurposed.

Q: Do players wear the same jersey more than once?
A: Players rarely wear the same match jersey in two competitive games. Clubs typically wash a jersey after each match. These washed jerseys may be reused for training sessions or reserve matches, but teams often have multiple kit sets. Smaller clubs with tighter budgets might reuse a shirt more often.

Q: How can fans get match-worn jerseys?
A: Fans sometimes catch jerseys thrown into the stands by players. Clubs also sell or auction match-worn jerseys through official channels. For example, a Chelsea player’s game-worn shirt recently sold for £34,000 in a charity auction. Many team stores and websites (like the Chelsea FC Foundation’s auctions) offer authenticated match jerseys for sale.

Q: Are old soccer jerseys thrown away?
A: Not usually. Organizations collect used jerseys for donation or recycling. Clubs encourage fans to drop off old kits instead of discarding them. Nonprofits like Kits for the World turn donated jerseys into gear for underprivileged youth. Specialized programs (e.g. Unwanted FC’s UNLOAD) upcycle old kits into new products. In short, football kit disposal has shifted toward reuse and sustainability.

Conclusion

In summary, soccer jerseys after the match embark on many paths: players may swap them with rivals or hand them to fans as keepsakes, while clubs’ kit staff collect and launder every worn uniform. Worn jerseys that can’t be reused are often auctioned or donated to make a positive impact. As Arsenal notes, extending each kit’s life by just a few extra months can slash its environmental footprint by nearly 30%. By supporting these practices – whether by volunteering for a kit drive or choosing a recycled jersey – fans help keep the game both beautiful and green. Share this article and let us know: what happened to your favorite player’s jersey?