Soccer jerseys are cut close. Slim through the chest and waist, shorter in the body than any other league, and built for movement rather than for wearing over layers. If you are used to North American sizing, your first football shirt will feel a size smaller than the label says — and it is not.
The short answer
Choose by chest measurement. Size up one step only for a relaxed supporter look — the cut is meant to be close.
- Chest decides the size. Soccer is the sport where the chest band matters most, because the shirt is cut close enough that a band out is visible.
- Expect it to feel smaller than the same letter elsewhere. An L in soccer is a slimmer garment than an L in NFL or NHL. That is the cut, not a sizing error.
- Size up for a supporter look. One step up gives you the looser, casual drape you see in the stands; stay true to size for the on-pitch fit.
- Shorts are sized on the waist. You will often be a different letter in shorts than in the shirt, and that is normal.
Why soccer shirts are cut so close
Start hereA soccer jersey is a piece of sporting equipment before it is a piece of merchandise. It is cut slim through the chest and waist so that nothing snags, nothing rides up, and nothing a defender can grab. The body is shorter than a basketball or football jersey for the same reason — a long hem on a running player is a liability.
That gives soccer the tightest silhouette in this guide, and it also makes it the most sensitive to the chest measurement. In a loose cut like hockey, being half an inch off a band is invisible. In soccer it shows immediately through the chest and at the shoulder seam.
The other thing to know is that the cut varies slightly between club shirts and national team shirts, and between a fan shirt and a player-spec shirt. That is why the product page chart wins whenever there is one — use this guide to find your band, then confirm against the product.
How to measure for a soccer shirt
Two minutesMeasure a shirt you already like. Because a soccer jersey is cut close, measuring your body and adding a guess is where most people go wrong.
- Chest. Laid flat, measured across from one underarm seam to the other, then doubled. On a slim cut this is the column that decides everything.
- Waist. Some charts carry a waist band, and on a slim shirt it is worth checking — it tells you how much taper there is through the middle.
- Body length. From the highest point of the shoulder to the hem. Shorter than every other league in this guide, so compare it against another soccer shirt rather than against a football jersey.
- Waist and hip, for shorts. Waistband flat and doubled; hip measured across the widest point.
Men’s soccer jerseys
Chest and US/EU sizeThe standard unisex soccer shirt, charted with US and EU equivalents because most football sizing is quoted in European numbers.
| Size | Chest (in) | Chest (cm) | Length (in) | Length (cm) | US Size | EU Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 33–35 | 84–89 | 27 | 69 | 34–36 | 44 |
| S | 35–37 | 89–94 | 28 | 71 | 36–38 | 46 |
| M | 37–40 | 94–102 | 29 | 74 | 38–41 | 48–50 |
| L | 40–43 | 102–109 | 30 | 76 | 42–44 | 52–54 |
| XL | 43–47 | 109–119 | 31 | 79 | 46–48 | 56 |
| 2XL | 47–51 | 119–130 | 32 | 81 | 50–52 | 58–60 |
| 3XL | 51–55 | 130–140 | 33 | 84 | 54–56 | 62 |
Read your chest band in the first columns and use the US and EU columns to line the size up with what you already buy. For the on-pitch fit, order your true chest size. For the relaxed supporter look — shirt worn loose over jeans or over another jersey — go one step up. Going two steps up is where a soccer jersey stops looking like a soccer jersey.
Women’s soccer jerseys
Own blockWomen’s football shirts are cut on their own block with a narrower shoulder and a shorter body, and they run slimmer again through the waist than the men’s cut.
| Size | Chest (in) | Chest (cm) | Waist (in) | Length (in) | Length (cm) | US Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 30–32 | 76–81 | 24–25 | 25 | 64 | 2–4 |
| S | 32–34 | 81–86 | 25–27 | 26 | 66 | 4–6 |
| M | 34–37 | 86–94 | 27–30 | 26.5 | 67 | 8–10 |
| L | 37–40 | 94–102 | 30–33 | 27 | 69 | 12–14 |
| XL | 40–44 | 102–112 | 33–37 | 27.5 | 70 | 16–18 |
| 2XL | 44–48 | 112–122 | 37–41 | 28 | 71 | 20–22 |
Match your chest measurement to the band it falls in and let the US size column confirm it. If you prefer a longer body or a looser drape, the men’s size closest to your chest is a better route than sizing up in the women’s cut, which adds room everywhere at once.
Youth and kids soccer jerseys
Age, height and chestYouth football shirts are charted on age, height and chest together, which matters more here than elsewhere: a slim cut that is one band short in the chest is immediately uncomfortable for a child who wants to run in it.
| Size | Ages | Chest (in) | Chest (cm) | Height (in) | Height (cm) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 7–8 | 26–27 | 66–69 | 50–54 | 127–137 | 55–70 |
| M | 9–12 | 28–30 | 71–76 | 55–60 | 140–152 | 75–95 |
| L | 13–15 | 31–33 | 79–84 | 61–63 | 155–160 | 100–120 |
| XL | 16–18 | 34–36 | 86–91 | 64–67 | 163–170 | 125–145 |
When height and chest land in different rows, follow height. Children grow upward first, and a soccer shirt has less tolerance across the chest than a football jersey does. Toddler sizes run from 2T to a small youth size on height alone, so if you are buying for a child under five, check the toddler chart on the product page.
Soccer shorts
Waist decidesShorts are sized on the waist and hip, using the same elastic waistband with a drawstring as our other shorts — roughly two inches of adjustment either way.
| Size | Waist (in) | Waist (cm) | Hip (in) | Hip (cm) | Shorts Length (in) | Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 29–32 | 74–81 | 35–37.5 | 89–95 | 18–19 | 46–48 |
| M | 32–35 | 81–89 | 37.5–41 | 95–104 | 19–20 | 48–51 |
| L | 35–38 | 89–97 | 41–44 | 104–112 | 20–21 | 51–53 |
| XL | 38–43 | 97–109 | 44–48 | 112–122 | 21–22 | 53–56 |
| 2XL | 43–47 | 109–119 | 48–52 | 122–132 | 22–23 | 56–58 |
| 3XL | 47–52 | 119–132 | 52–56 | 132–142 | 23–24 | 58–61 |
Do not assume your shirt size is your shorts size. A lot of people who wear an L shirt land in an M short, and it is the waist measurement rather than the letter that should decide it. Check the shorts length column too if you have a preference for how high the hem finishes.
Sizing questions we get most
Do soccer jerseys run small?
They run slim, which is not quite the same thing. The chest band on the chart is accurate — if your chest fits the band, the size is right. What surprises people coming from North American sizing is how close the garment sits. If you want it to feel like a football or hockey jersey, size up one step.
I wear an L in soccer. What size am I in NFL or NBA?
Your chest measurement stays the same, so check the same band on the other league's chart. In practice the letters often match while the garments feel completely different: the football jersey will be much wider through the body and the basketball jersey longer in the hem. Compare on chest, not on the letter.
Should I size up for a soccer jersey?
Only if you want a relaxed supporter fit. For the on-pitch look, stay with the size your chest measurement puts you in. One step up is a deliberate style choice; two steps up stops being the cut at all.
Is my shirt size the same as my shorts size?
Not necessarily. Shirts are sized on the chest and shorts on the waist, and plenty of people wear a large shirt and a medium short. Measure both against their own chart.
Which size for a child who is growing fast?
Go with the height band and accept a little room, because a slim cut that is tight across the chest is the one thing a child will refuse to wear. If height and chest point to different rows, follow height.
What if the size is wrong when it arrives?
You have 30 days from delivery to send it back with the tags attached and the shirt unworn. Start the return from your order confirmation email — full steps are on our Returns & Exchanges page.
Find your chest, find your shirt
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Measurements are garment figures, taken flat, with about half an inch of tolerance between production runs. A slim cut has less give than a loose one, so order the band your chest measurement sits inside.
