Orange football teams: A list of the 35 best football teams that wear orange

It is common knowledge that team colours have a deeper meaning to them. A recent analysis revealed that orange football teams are the second most winningest teams after red teams. Explore with us and learn more about football teams wearing orange jerseys worldwide.

Compared to red and blue, orange may not be the most popular colour for a football kit. However, it is associated with various successful teams, such as three-time FIFA World Cup runner-ups, the Netherlands National Football Team and two of the best NCAA football teams, Oklahoma State and the University of Texas Longhorns. This article dives into an extensive list of football teams that wear orange football kits.

How is jersey colour decided in football?

Various scientific studies suggest that teams choose kit colours as a psychological aggression tactic. However, another factor considered is visibility, specifically the peripheral visibility of some colours over others. Speaking on the importance of a kit's colour, David Hicks, Manchester United and AS Roma's kit designer, said,

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Number 1 is colour. The use of colour, the right colour, and the correct tone of colour. Players want to look cool, and fans as well. They wear the shirt as a badge of honour at games.

What countries have orange football kits?

Out of 211 FIFA-affiliated associations, only five football teams have worn orange jerseys. International soccer squads typically play in kit colours similar to their national flags. Scroll down and find teams whose kit colours do not correlate with the nation's flag.

1. Netherlands national football team

Although Holland's flag is red, white and blue, its football, rugby and hockey squads play in orange because of the House of Orange-Nassau, the Dutch royal family. The Netherlands national football team's nicknames, Oranje and Clockwork Orange, have also taken on the colour.

2. Niger national football team

The Niger national flag features orange, white and green. As such, throughout its history, the team's kit has featured the orange with complete away kits in 2023, 2016 and 2012, taking on the full colour and becoming one of the few green and orange football teams.

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3. Ivory Coast national football team

Thanks to Ivory Coast's tricolour flag, the national team wears a striking orange and green colour scheme. The three-time AFCON champions and FIFA World Cup qualifiers made a fan-friendly change to their 2022 AFCON grey and white kit inspired by the elephant.

4. Zambia national football team

The Zambian national men's and women's football team kit mirrors the country's flag colours of orange, red, black and green. Although the national squad's kit typically uses green as its primary colour, its away kit in 1996, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2021 was entirely orange.

5. Bhutan national football team

The story behind the Bhutan kit is inspired by folklore, mythology and tradition. Like most associations' jerseys, the kit colours that reflect the Bhutan flag colours also feature the traditional dragon motif paying homage to the kingdom’s royal authority, rich history, culture, and spiritualism.

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Top 10 football teams that wear orange

After being associated with a particular colour, the football team's identity becomes intertwined with their dress, such as Liverpool, famously called the Reds, that's to their red football dress. Scroll down and discover which soccer teams have orange uniforms.

1. Blackpool FC - UK

One of the orange football teams in the UK is EFL League One's number two team, Blackpool FC, aptly named the Tangerines. The club wore the colour in the 1923/24 season thanks to former director Albert Hargreaves and later club chairman.

2. Dundee United FC - Scotland

In 1969, Dundee United changed its original colours from green and white to burnt orange and a black trim with a lion badge to make an appearance at the NASL International Cup. The squad that recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary praised the team colour in a statement, saying,

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"The colour is part of our DNA. It is unique and eye-catching. Our campaign (50 years of Tangerine) captures everything special about being part of the United family while paying homage to the origin of one of British football's most recognisable jerseys."

3. Istanbul Basaksehir FK - Turkey

İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü is one of the few football teams in the Middle East who wear an orange football kit. The club currently sitting in the eleventh position on the Süper Lig, was relegated from the Turkish 1st League in 2012/13, making two appearances in the Europa League and the European Champion League in 2022.

4. Houston Dynamo - USA

In 2020, the Dynamo management made a clarion call to all its fans to show up at the Robertson Stadium in a sea of orange to give the team a home-field advantage against Real Salt Lake. The club that takes pride in its 'Forever Orange' slogan chose the colour to distinguish itself in the United States.

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5. FC Shakhtar Donetsk - Ukraine

The Miners, who pride themselves as the ambassadors of Ukrainian soccer globally, wear orange and black colours representing the contrast between the sunlight and shadows in the coal mines. The dress colours are linked to the hard work of Donetsk coal miners and the energy confined deep in the earth of the area.

6. FC Lorient - France

The Ligue 1 football club plays its home matches in orange shirts and black shorts made by Umbro. Despite several relegations throughout its history, the club has climbed back up to 12th in the first-tier league.

7. Aalesunds FK - Norway

The Tango Shirts are a well-known Norwegian that joins the ranks of blue and orange football teams. The Aalesunds wear kits with gold, blue, and orange colours.

8. PFC Litex Lovech - Bulgaria

Much is not known about Bulgaria's Litex Lovech. However, the one-time Super Cup and four-time First League champion dons kit colours similar to the nation's white, green and orange flag.

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9. Brisbane Roar FC - Australia

At the start of the 2018/19 season, the Brisbane Roar rebranded to become one of the black and orange football teams. The club returned to its traditional jersey colours, orange and black home, citing their influence on its success. At the unveiling, the soccer club's Managing Director, David Pourre, said

“Orange and black will always be at the heart of our club."

10. Shandong Taishan FC - China

Shandong Taishan is an impressive soccer club that has held its place in the Chinese Super League for three decades. With eight FA Cup trophies and five CSL championships, the kit colour believed to bring good luck in Chinese culture adds to the club's hard work and strategy.

Notable mentions

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Orange football teams in the NFL

There are six NFL football teams with orange colours. The extensive list includes the only undefeated team in NFL history, the Miami Dolphins. Scroll down for details of the clubs' dress colours.

Orange college football teams

What college football team colour is orange? Out of 893 teams spanning five divisions, ten American college football teams currently wear orange jerseys. Have a look at a comprehensive list of school squads that proudly rock tangerine hues.

1. Oregon State Beavers
2. UTSA Roadrunners
3. Texas Longhorns
4. Tennessee Volunteers
5. Clemsont Tigres
6. University of Illinois
7. Syracuse University football
8. Oklahoma State
9. Bowling Green State University
10. Miami Hurricanes

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In addition to holding an aesthetically pleasing hold on fans, orange football teams have an impressive record of success. However, football teams worldwide wearing orange jerseys are less popular than red and blue football teams.

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Sports Brief recently published a report on the American Football Conference, its history and its teams. The National Football League consists of two conferences, the National and American Football Conferences. Click on the link above to discover more about the collective whose teams hold notable historical records of accomplishments.