The GOAL Awards 2022: The 22 best football products and media of the year

Honourable Mentions: Nike Flight UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Ball, PUMA Orbita La Liga 2022-23 Ball

With a new season came a new ball, and what a ball it was. Inspired by the very first Premier League ball used back in 1992, the new and improved - technology-wise - Nike Flight came with the very same colours, and bold graphics loved on the original. 

With a rich history and nostalgic design, the Nike Flight Premier League ball topped our vote, with the Nike Flight Women’s Euro 2022 ball not far behind. 

While the official match ball will set you back a fair few pounds, the replica ball comes in for just £20 at PRO: Direct Soccer. 

Honourable Mentions: G Form Pro-S Vento Shin Guard, PUMA Ultra Flex Sleeve Shin Guards

For weeks it felt like all we were seeing was the Solar Green of the adidas X Speedportal collection wherever we looked. From shin guards to boots, the X Speedportal line took over our screens, and rightly so. 

Synonymous for speed and reaction time, the X range is the top choice for those seeking a shin pad that feels like it's barely there. With a lightweight and perforated cushion design, these shin pads excel when you need to play at your full potential with nothing holding you back. 

Honourable Mentions: Reusch Attrakt Gold x Glueprint Ortho-Tec, adidas Predator Edge Training GK Gloves

Worn by the pros in 2022’s summer major tournament - the Women’s Euros - the match-quality PUMA Ultra Grip 1 gloves deliver supreme sensitivity, flexibility, and traction. 

Born to perform right down to the fingertips and paired with Liberty’s beautiful- and iconic - floral artistry, these gloves are a clear winner for 2022. 

Honourable Mentions: adidas Terrex Gore-Tex Infinium Gloves, STATS Sports Apex Athlete Series App

While the Therabody Theragun may not be new news to anyone, 2022 saw the release of the 5th Generation PRO. 

The newest member of the Theragun family comes with an impressive bounty of new features like built-in guided routines and app connectivity, plus, a stronger motor quieter than ever before.

A kitbag essential - loved by the likes of Trent Alerxander-Arnold and Granit Xhaka - for muscle recovery, the Theragun PRO is the ultimate tool to help you find relief after those tough games. 

Honourable Mentions: Samsung QN900B Neo QLED 8K HDR Smart TV, LG OLED Evo C2 4K Smart TV

With a 4.8 star rating on SONY, this Smart TV offers the best possible viewing experience for all your football matches, gaming and more. 

When put to the test, the SONY XR-65A75K delivers the highest OLED picture quality, with an image so real it'll feel like you're on the pitch. Maybe it won't feel exactly like you're in the roaring crowd, but it is a world-class TV, boosted for smooth, fast-action play, so each game looks and sounds glorious.

Honourable Mentions: Football Manager 23, PGA Tour 2K23

A bittersweet end, as FIFA 23 marks the final entry in the series from EA bearing that name, but a worthy win for what has been the best football game for decades.

FIFA 23 came with an incredible host of new features, most notably the introduction of women’s club football with Women’s Super League and Division 1 Arkema available to play for gamers at launch.

The new game gave us everything we wanted and more. AFC Richmond and Ted Lasso. A World Cup game mode. Mbappe and Sam Kerr edition covers. Sensational. 

Honourable Mentions: A Woman’s Game by Suzanna Wrack, 1999: Manchester United, the Trebleand All That by Matt Dickinson

If you were lucky enough to make it down to the Design Museum exhibition of the same title in the summer of 2022, you’d have had a great glimpse into what the book entails. 

The first-of-its-kind book does a class job exploring the design story behind football, providing a glimpse into the people and processes that have made football what it is today. 

Coming top of our vote, we’ll happily award Football: Designing the Beautiful Game Exhibition Catalogue the best book of the year win for its contribution to sharing a rare insight into everything that comes together to make the beautiful game. 

Honourable Mentions: GLORY, These Football Times

2022 marked the return of MUNDIAL in print, and what a year it turned out to be for the mag. Serving up not one, not two, but three glorious new issues, the cult football magazine came through with a trio of mags full of the greatest football stories from around the world. 

From the chronicles of Paolo Maldini and a Women’s Euros special to Zizou in 10 games, and now the highly anticipated Issue 24 - covering five superheroes before they found their capes - 2022 might just be their best year yet. 

It doesn’t end there, for MUNDIAL 2022 saw a feast of top-tier collaborations on top of a Paris Fashion Week takeover. Admiral. All Press. Percival. Petit Pont. Wedgie. They did it all, and we loved it. 

Honourable Mentions: All or Nothing: Arsenal, FIFA Uncovered 

2022 has been a standout year for documentaries covering all aspects of football culture, which made choosing just one winner a near-impossible task. Seriously, our longlist of best documentaries contained over 10 entries.

On the surface, Welcome to Wrexham is the story of two Hollywood stars buying a struggling National League team in the hopes of turning its dwindling fortunes around. However, the 18-part series quickly revealed itself as more than a Hollywood-esque Cinderella story, instead focusing on the community of Wrexham and the importance of their local team.

Welcome to Wrexham is a love letter to communities, football, and the country of Wales as a whole.

Honourable Mentions: Athens Kalithea Home, Japan x Nigo “For Japan”

It’s something of a cliche to call Venezia the coolest club in the world now, but the team’s 2022-23 home kit only reinforced its credentials. 

Designed alongside fashion consultancy Bureau Borsche, the shirt combined a black base with orange and green stripes before metallic gold detailing took it to another level. 

The long sleeve version, in particular, has proven itself to be just as at home as a statement shirt as it is on the pitch.

Honourable Mentions: Stone Island x New Balance, Daily Paper x Ajax

Building on its long-standing work with London-based label Aries, New Balance invited the brand to collaborate with AS Roma. 

The resulting capsule focused on a new home shirt for the Italian club – which was worn in a friendly against Yokohama F. Marinos – mixed the traditional Giallorossi colour scheme with a yellow stripe in a marbling effect. 

2022 was the year that football and fashion collaborations reached a new level, but it was Aries’ work with AS Roma that set the standard.

Honourable Mentions: Real Madrid x Marvel, Arsenal Jamaica 

While initially a shock, Jordan Brand has proved itself to be one of the best kit partners a team could have through its work with PSG. 

This season, the highlight of the partnership was the pre-match shirt, which came in a sleek black design. The jersey was covered with an abstract dark grey pattern while white detailing – including the iconic Jumpman logo – helped to finish the design.

Read more of our thoughts on the best kits of the year in the GOAL 2022 Kit Awards.

Honourable Mentions: adidas Copa Sense+, PUMA Future 1.4 NJR Rare

The latest innovation for Nike’s Mercurial line arrived this year, with Air Zoom added for the first time since 2001. The new feature was rolled out across two silhouettes, with the Mercurial Vapor XV the pick of the bunch. 

The boot is designed with a three-quarter length air cushion, giving the players extra speed and control, while the upper is designed for ball control, and a new stud pattern is used to allow for play in all directions. 

At £235, they’re not cheap, but they pack a punch with Nike’s cutting-edge technology.

Honourable Mentions: Nike x Mbappe Air Zoom Mercurial, PUMA x Liberty Ultra Ultimate

Stone Island’s collaboration with New Balance only arrived in November, but the late entry has already cemented its status as one of the year’s best. 

As well as officially introducing Stone Island into football for the first time – after decades of casual association with the sport – it has also made an impact at the World Cup. 

When Raheem Sterling scored England’s third goal against Iran he used the outside of the boot, leading some fans to speculate that he had gone out of his way to “get the badge in.”

Honourable Mentions: Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV SE, adidas Predator Edge 94+

adidas has released a series of Predator iterations over the course of the past year, but arguably the best is a nod to an infamous moment for the silhouette. 

The original Predator Absolute in gold was worn by Zinedine Zidane for his last ever match, the 2006 World Cup final that ended in a headbutt and eventual defeat. 

Despite that origin, the boot is a classic, and the Three Stripes made an inspired call in bringing it back from the archive.

Read more of our thoughts on the best boots of the year in the GOAL 2022 Boot Awards.

Honourable Mentions: Ajax x Daily paper, AS Roma x New Balance x Aries

Different but complementary, three words that perfectly describe how fashion and football can come together and give you an iconic collection like Monaco x Kappa x Drole de Monsieur.

An ode to the French Riviera - of which Monaco is the jewel - the collection itself is a nostalgic and daring mix of ‘70s and ‘90s styles, that combines elements of the club’s identity with the world of fashion through the elegance of Drole de Monsieur.

The collaboration came divided into two parts: a technical range and a lifestyle range - all dressed in the same tonal diamond print - the latter of which sold out almost instantly. However, you can still get your hands on the Special Edition jersey. 

Honourable Mentions: Beth Mead x Camden Town Brewery, Raheem Sterling x Clarks

Nothing brought us more joy than when we saw Tyler the Creator link up with Bellerin and take centre stage for the Golf Wang World Cup Soccer capsule. 

Some might argue it's not a collaboration by definition, but, the world’s best-dressed baller and Golf Wang coming together for a campaign like this is an award winner in our books. 

The football-themed capsule came dressed in classic navy and baby blue colours, with wave-pattern stripes adorning the jersey and shorts of the collection. Other items in the collection include a grey hoodie – complete with a football-inspired graphic – and a full Golf Wang tracksuit in the same navy and white colours. 

Honourable Mentions: Stone Island x New Balance, [AOF] x FIFA

The Palace and Gucci collaboration was one of the biggest pieces of fashion news this year, and when we saw the football shirts, it was game over for any other collaboration. 

Palace and Gucci might not seem like natural collaborators, but it’s not Gucci’s first mark on football fashion and certainly not the last. 

The collaboration featured three football shirts, each a contender for the shirt of the season, while also fusing Gucci’s luxury heritage with Palace’s tongue-in-cheek imagery. All three shirts hark back to the early ‘90s, with Italia 90 and Serie A reaching a global audience. 

Gucci are well and truly staking their place in the football world, working with the likes of Jack Grealish and Leah Williamson, and most recently, a campaign featuring Mo Salah. 

Honourable Mentions: adidas x Pharrell Williams Humanrace, Barcelona x Drake x Spotify

Another late contender, having only landed back in November, #Merky FC - a brilliant football and music crossover from Stormzy and adidas Football. The project launched with the aim to help level the playing field by giving off-pitch opportunities to young Black people within the sport. 

The initiative was announced in a video released by adidas and Stormzy, in which the rapper says, “on the pitch, we do our thing. Off the pitch, it's like we don’t exist.” But Stormzy then declares: “That’s all about to change.” To drive this change, adidas and Stormzy have partnered with a range of organisations from across the football industry.

These partners include media organisations, such as Sky Sports and GOAL, and football clubs (Manchester United and Fulham). Each partner will offer work placements in various roles covering operations, community, creative and marketing. A great initiative we’re proud to be a part of, and can’t wait to see take off in 2023. 

Honourable Mentions: AC Milan ‘96 Collection, Arsenal Retro Crest Collection

Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, adidas threw it back to the ‘90s with an Icon goalkeeper kit collection to celebrate the crazy world of ‘90s jerseys, and it was brilliant. 

The ‘90s were synonymous with extravagant and wild graphics on kits, the collection reimagined these beloved ‘90s kits from the likes of Argentina, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Mexico.

Loud, bold and crazy, the collection honoured the best years of football shirt design perfectly. A real retro winner. 

Honourable Mentions: Aime Leon Dore x New Balance 2002R, Reebok x Nicole Mclaughlin

2022, a year filled with the finest trainer collaborations we’ve seen in a while. 

From adidas to Nike to New Balance, each brand brought new dimensions to their existing silhouettes through a wide range of luxury brand and renowned-name collaborations. Still, the adidas Samba x Wales Bonner collaboration took the win for us. 

Opulent, luxurious and preppy, the Grace Wales Bonner take on the adidas Samba put a new perspective on the silhouette. 

Retro-inspired, mixing European and Afro-Atlantic backgrounds from the '70s and '80s, the trainer arrived in two colourways - Scarlett and Cream/Green - lined with satin and finished with contrast topstitching, the adidas Samba never looked so luxe. 

Honourable Mentions: Art of Football, Sokito

It’s been a year of leading collaborations for British menswear brand Percival. From Champion to Harry Lambert to Campari, Percival have well and truly infiltrated the GOAL office wardrobe. 

However, this isn’t what makes it our brand to watch for the new year. 2022 saw Percival stake their claim on the football jersey. Collabs with Umbro, The Great Frog London, Throwing Fits and Taste Cadets gave Percival the opportunity to become THE kit supplier of your 5-a-side evenings.

Let’s not forget the GOALSTUDIO x Percival capsule, one for the books. A great year for Percival, and we cannot wait to see what the brand brings us in 2023.