The Club León 1998-99 Home Retro Football Shirt recreates one of the most distinctive designs worn by Los Esmeraldas during the late 1990s, covering the Invierno 1998 and Verano 1999 tournaments in Mexico’s top division.
The shirt features a deep green base, staying true to León’s traditional identity, with subtle vertical tonal striping running through the body. Bold yellow geometric detailing across the chest and shoulders creates the defining visual feature, while matching yellow accents around the collar complete the unmistakable late-1990s appearance. Historical kit records identify this design as León’s 1998/99 Home shirt.
The squad included several memorable names from Mexican and Latin American football, including Hernán Medford, Jaime Ordiales, Ricardo Cadena, Sigifredo Mercado and Edgardo Prátola, while the season also featured changes in both personnel and management.
The shirt comes immediately after León's memorable Invierno 1997 run to the Mexican league final, making it part of a recognisable late-1990s period in the club’s history. However, the 1998/99 campaign itself proved much more difficult, with León missing the championship playoffs in both short tournaments.
Please refer to the size guidance on this product page for detailed measurements.
Club León 1998-99 Home Jersey
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Size Guidance (Retro Jersey)
Size Chest (in) Length (in) Rec. Height (ft/in) Rec. Weight (lb) S 39 28 65–67 121–132 M 41 28 67–69 132–154 L 43 29 69–71 154–176 XL 44 30 71–75 176–198 XXL 46 31 75–79 198–220 Note: All sizes are for reference only. Manual measurement may result in an error of ±1 inch.
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Season Information
Season/Year: 1998/99
Club: Club León
Country: Mexico
Competition: Primera División de México – Invierno 1998 / Verano 1999 / CONCACAF Champions’ Cup
Kit Type: Home
Stadium: Estadio León
Invierno 1998: 4th in Group 1 / 15th overall – Did not qualify for Liguilla
Verano 1999: 4th in Group / 16th overall – Did not qualify for Liguilla
Invierno 1998 Record: 4 Wins / 4 Draws / 9 Losses
Invierno 1998 Goals: 25 scored / 34 conceded
Verano 1999 Record: 5 Wins / 1 Draw / 11 Losses
Verano 1999 Goals: 19 scored / 33 conceded
CONCACAF Champions’ Cup: Fourth place
Key Players: Hernán Medford, Jaime Ordiales, Ricardo Cadena, Sigifredo Mercado, Edgardo Prátola, Lorenzo Sáez
Historical Context: A transitional campaign following León’s run to the Invierno 1997 championship finalInvierno 1998 – A Difficult Follow-Up
León entered 1998/99 not far removed from one of the club’s strongest campaigns of the decade.
During Invierno 1997, León had finished first in the regular-season standings and advanced all the way to the championship final against Cruz Azul. That final was decided in extra time, leaving León as league runners-up.
By Invierno 1998, however, the picture had changed considerably.
León recorded four wins, four draws and nine defeats from 17 matches, scoring 25 goals while conceding 34. The club finished fourth in its group with 16 points and did not qualify for the Liguilla.
The opening match of the tournament illustrates several of the important names associated with the squad. Against Guadalajara, León fielded players including Ángel David Comizzo, Ricardo Cadena, Edgardo Prátola, Sigifredo Mercado, Jaime Ordiales, Martín Peña, Hernán Medford and Lorenzo Sáez, with Ordiales scoring León's goal in a 2–1 defeat.
Hernán Medford and the Late-1990s León Side
One of the most recognisable attacking names connected with this period is Hernán Medford.
The Costa Rican international had been an important part of the León side that reached the Invierno 1997 final and remained with the squad into the following campaign. Contemporary lineups document him starting in attack during Invierno 1998 alongside Argentine forward Lorenzo Sáez.
Medford had already built a substantial international career with Costa Rica and brought pace and experience to León's forward line.
Jaime Ordiales was another experienced figure. Capable of operating in midfield and attacking positions, he featured prominently during this period and scored León's goal in the opening match of Invierno 1998.
At the back, Ricardo Cadena, Sigifredo Mercado and Argentine defender Edgardo Prátola were among the recurring names in León's lineups.
CONCACAF Champions’ Cup
The season also included continental competition.
Because of their strong results in the preceding period, León participated in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, adding an international dimension to an otherwise difficult domestic campaign.
Season records list León as finishing fourth in the CONCACAF competition, while their overall 1998/99 statistical record across the two domestic short tournaments was 10 victories, six draws and 23 defeats when the additional officially counted tournament matches are included.
This continental involvement is particularly relevant historically because León would have relatively few opportunities to compete internationally during the following years.
Verano 1999
The second half of the Mexican season brought another difficult league campaign.
In Verano 1999, León recorded five victories, one draw and 11 defeats, scoring 19 goals and conceding 33. The club again finished fourth in its group and ranked 16th overall.
The opening match against Atlante illustrates how the squad was evolving. The lineup included Alberto Guadarrama, Sigifredo Mercado, Sergio Martínez and Ricardo Cadena, among others, showing changes from the group that had begun Invierno 1998.
Across the complete 1998/99 domestic season, León therefore finished with identical 16-point totals in both short tournaments, missing the Liguilla on each occasion.
Although it was not a trophy-winning season, the shirt remains particularly memorable because of its bold design and its association with a colourful late-1990s León squad immediately following the club’s Invierno 1997 runners-up campaign.
