Ranking the 50 most iconic sports team logos

The best sports logos are more than just graphics. 

They're powerful symbols that represent a team's identity, history, culture, and legacy — all of which unite and inspire fans across generations.

It's no wonder some of the most iconic logos have transcended sports to become instantly recognizable symbols worldwide.

This list presents 50 of the best sports logos of all time — and explores their origins, design features, and the meaning behind their elements.

1. New York Yankees

Created in 1947, the New York Yankees baseball team has one of the most iconic sports logos in the world. The timeless simplicity of the interlocking 'NY' monogram is instantly recognizable, and the serif font evokes a sense of tradition and history.

2. Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most successful soccer teams in the UK's premier league, and its red and yellow badge logo is distinct and unforgettable. Designed in 1998, the logo includes a devil with a trident to symbolize the team's nickname, "The Red Devils," and a ship representing the city's industrial heritage.

3. Chicago Bulls

Designed in 1966, the Chicago Bull's logo has remained unchanged for over 50 years. It features a fierce bull with clean, bold lines — evoking strength, focus, and determination. The bull is red with red-tipped horns — a color often used to signify energy, power, and passion in Western cultures.

4. AS Roma

Italy's Roma Football (soccer) Club has a timeless shield logo featuring a mother wolf and two human infants depicting the brothers Romulus and Remus of the myth of Rome's founding. The unique image and vibrant maroon and gold colors make the logo stand out.

5. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers adopted its current sports team logo in 1961 after moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. The logo has evolved slightly over the years while retaining its core elements: the classic basketball, dynamic font design, and purple and gold color scheme. These days, the Lakers' logo is synonymous with legendary players like Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

6. Arsenal FC

British Premier League football (soccer) club, Arsenal — nicknamed 'The Gunners' — took a literal approach to its shield logo, which features a cannon. The red, blue, white, and gold colors are eye-catching and evoke strength and power. The canon was introduced as the team's emblem in 1922 and has continued to represent the club for over a century.

7. Dallas Cowboys

The American Football team, The Dallas Cowboys, debuted its iconic sports logo in 1960. The star represents Texas, known as the 'Lone Star State' due to its former status as an independent republic. Featuring only blue and white colors, this simple and minimal design is impactful and easy to recognize.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

First introduced in 1927, the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team chose Canada's national symbol — a maple leaf — for its logo. Unlike many of the best sports team logos, the Toronto Maple Leafs include the team's name in its emblem. 

9. Green Bay Packers

The American football team, the Green Bay Packers, uses a simple but distinct letter 'G' for its logo. Its oval shape features a green and yellow color scheme rarely seen in America's National Football League (NFL). This logo has remained virtually unchanged since 1961.

10. Olympic Rings

The Olympics has one of the most iconic sports logos of all time. Designed in 1913, the five interlocking rings represent the five continents of the world. They also embody the spirit of the Olympic games by symbolizing unity. The logo, with its bright colors, is instantly recognizable worldwide. 

11. FC Barcelona

Spain's Barcelona Football (soccer) Club has one of the coolest sports logos in the world. It features a rich history and regional pride.

To understand the logo, it's important to note that Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia — an autonomous community of Spain with its own language and a culture distinct from Spain's.

Barcelona FC's crest logo is divided into three main parts. The upper left features the cross of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The upper right section contains the flag of Catalonia. And the bottom section displays the football club's blue and garnet colors. 

The current version was adopted in 2002 and features a modern take on the traditional elements. 

12. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, an American Football team, adopted its current logo in 1933. Known as 'The Flying Elvis,' the logo looks like a red, white, and blue flag flying in the wind — all designed to symbolize American patriotism.

13. Santos FC

‍

The Brazilian football (soccer) club Santos FC introduced its shield emblem in 1925, and its core elements have remained consistent for a century, with timeless black and white colors. The two stars above the logo were introduced in 1962 to commemorate Brazil's World Cup wins — for which Santos FC players were largely responsible.

14. Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs baseball team introduced its logo in 1979. It features a simple and memorable circular design in a 70s style. Like many teams, the Chicago Cubs also use red, white, and blue to represent the team's American patriotism. The large 'C' emphasizes 'Chicago' and 'Cubs.'

15. Montreal Canadiens

First used in 1952, the Montreal Canadiens are the oldest hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). This sports team logo features the letters 'CH,' which stands for 'Club de Hockey.'

16. All Blacks

The All Blacks rugby team uses the silver fern as its emblem, which is one of New Zealand’s national symbols. Introduced in 1986, the logo's bold angular font, along with the black and white colors, represent the All Black's strength

17. Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings hockey team introduced its winged wheel logo in 1948. It represents the team's name and symbolizes the city's automotive history. The logo, with its striking red color, evokes a sense of speed and movement. This sports team logo is relatively intricate and, consequently, unforgettable.

18. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sock has one of the most iconic sports team logos in the world. First used in 1933, the logo has remained unchanged for more than 90 years. It features the letter 'B' in a classic serif font and patriotic red and blue colors.

19. Paris Saint-Germain

Paris's Saint-German Football (soccer) Club introduced its logo in 2013. The circular emblem features the team's name, Paris's Eiffel Tower, and the fleur-de-lys — a heraldic symbol shaped like a lily and featured on France's traditional coat of arms. This has to be one of the coolest sports logos in the world, balancing modern and clean lines with a sense of tradition and history.

20. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco's 49ers, an American football team, introduced its timeless logo in 1946 — and it's remained virtually unchanged since. The SF monogram represents the city's name, and the red and gold colors symbolize California's Gold Rush era, evoking a sense of nostalgia. This iconic sports team logo is simple and undoubtedly memorable.

21. Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich is one of Germany's most successful football (soccer) clubs. Its circular logo was first introduced in 2002. It features red, white, and blue colors and a diamond pattern to represent the Bavarian flag.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team adopted its classic logo in 1958 after moving from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, CA. The logo features a timeless and elegant blue script design, along with a red baseball and lines depicting movement. It's simple and retro.

23. AC Milan

Italy's AC Milan football (soccer) club uses an oval emblem. It features the team's initials, 'ACM,' the club's founding year, 1899, and the team's red and black stripes. It also includes the flag of Milan — a red cross on a white field, similar to Saint George's Cross, symbolizing the connection between Saint Ambrose and the city of Milan. Like many of the best European sports team logos, it's especially historic and traditional.

24. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team introduced its logo in 1967 and it's barely changed in the decades since. It features the letter 'P' with wings and a red circle representing a hockey puck. The logo is dynamic and symbolizes speed and movement.

25. Liverpool FC

Liverpool Football (soccer) Club's logo contains its name, slogan — "You'll never walk alone" — and the year the club was established, 1892. The mythical Liver Bird is the city's symbol, and the twin flames commemorate the 96 Liverpool Football Club fans who died in a crush in the Hillsborough stadium stands in 1989.

26. New York Giants

The New York Giant's classic 'NY' monogram logo features blue and red colors, a simple serif font, and lowercase letters. This American football team introduced the logo in 1975. Its simple and distinctive design has remained unchanged for almost 50 years.

27. Al Ahly SC

Al Ahly is one of Egypt's most popular football (soccer)teams. This distinct sports team logo was first used in 1907. It features a shield with an eagle, Egypt's flag emblem, and red, black, and gold colors — evoking strength, power, and passion. The logo also includes the team's name in Arabic and English and its founding year, 1907.

28. Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders)

The Las Vegas Raiders — previously the Oakland Raiders — first used their iconic logo in 1964. It features a black-and-white shield, pirate, and crossed cutlasses. Notably, the pirate is wearing a traditional American Football padded helmet. It's unique and memorable and has to be one of the coolest sports team logos of all time. Arrrrghh.

29. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are one of the youngest National Basketball League (NBA) franchises and the only Canadian-based team to compete in the NBA. The team first used its simple circular logo in 2015. Note the dinosaur's claw mark on the basketball!

30. Denver Broncos

The American Football team, the Denver Broncos, introduced its logo in 1997. The bronco symbolizes the wild spirit of the American West. With flame-red eyes and a fiery mane, the bronco's determined expression and forward lean evoke determination and energy.

31. Chelsea FC

London's Chelsea Football (soccer) Club first introduced its current logo in 2005.

The red flowers represent poppies, which grew abundantly in France during World War I. These flowers have long been a symbol of remembrance in the UK and are used to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the war.

The lion is based on elements of the coat of arms of Chelsea and is a nod to the previous club president, Viscount Chelsea. 

32. Kansas City Chiefs

The American Football team, the Kansas Chiefs, takes inspiration from the state's rich Indigenous American heritage for its name and arrowhead logo. First introduced in 1972, the red and black colors and the 'KC' monogram are bold and eye-catching.

33. Ajax

Amsterdam's Ajax is one of the Netherlands's most successful football (soccer) clubs. The existing logo was introduced in 1991. It features a line drawing of the Greek hero Ajax, who symbolizes strength and bravery, encircled in red lines and the names of the club and city.

34. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans, an American Football Club, introduced its updated logo in 2002. The logo depicts a Spanish fighting bull's head, leaning down as if charging — symbolizing strength and determination. Instead of an eye, the bull has a lone star, representing Texas' state flag.

35. Leicester City FC

Leicester City Football Club, nicknamed "The Foxes," is a successful football (soccer) team in England. The logo features a fox and a five-leaved potentilla flower — both Leicester County symbols. The club has worn blue and white since its inception in 1884, and the team's fans call themselves "The Blue Army."

36. San Francisco Giants

‍

The San Francisco Giants baseball club introduced its logo in 1983 and its changed little since. The baseball features a brown textured pattern to give it a 3D effect, and the team's name is presented in a gothic-style font in striking black and orange colors, with a drop shadow — again, for a 3D effect.

37. Hanshin Tigers

The Hanshin Tigers are one of Japan's most popular and successful baseball teams. The circular logo features a roaring tiger with fierce eyes and bare teeth on a red background — representing strength, power, and agility.

38. Pittsburgh Penguins

First used in 1992, the Pittsburg Penguins' logo depicts a penguin playing ice hockey with a focused and determined expression. The bold black lines and striking gold triangle are distinct and eye-catching.

39. Juventus

Juventus is an Italian soccer club nicknamed "I Bianconeri" — which means "The black and white" and originates from the team's colors. In 2017, the logo dropped some of its recognizable elements, like the Turin Bull, and held on to the simplest of all components: 'J' for Juventus and a single stripe taken from the famous black and white team stripes. It's truly one of the best sports logos of all time — it's modern, simple, artistic, and so very Italian.

40. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks’ logo is inspired by the Thunderbird, a mythological bird that represents power and strength in North American Indigenous peoples' history and culture. This NFL team's logo is sleek and modern. The green eye is eye-catching, the strong beak is intimidating, and the menacing look of the bird demands respect.

41. Inter Milan

Only a few of the world's soccer teams' logos are as recognized as Inter Milan's. The interlocking 'I' and 'M' monogram is framed in a concentric circle — a feature of the team's logo since its inception. It also remains true to the team's colors — black and blue. This is undoubtedly one of the best sports team logos — it's minimalist, elegant, and tailored to the modern digital world. It also works in print, on uniforms, and on digital devices.

42. Los Angeles Rams

In 2020, the Los Angeles Rams introduced a new logo that's quite different from the iconic rams horns that the NFL fans were used to. The new logo received significant backlash from fans. The design is modern and eye-catching. It also continues to honor the Ram's history and identity by featuring the team's colors and a single ram's horn integrated into the letters 'LA.'

43. Real Madrid

Spain's Real Madrid Football (soccer) Club has a distinguished and historic logo. 'Real' is the Spanish word for 'royal' — a name adopted in 1920 after the King of Spain blessed the team. The logo's crown honors this royal heritage. The logo's monogram features the team's initials, 'MFC.' It combines modern lines with the Spanish flair for ornate and intricate design.

44. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks basketball team introduced its logo in 1992. It's clearly influenced by 90s fashion trends, with bold fonts and the word 'Knicks' featuring an emphasized shadow perspective. The logo features a basketball front and center, and the team's name is imposed over an inverted triangle background in the team's colors of blue, orange, and silver.

45. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trailblazers truly has one of the best logos of all time — and that's because every element of it is intentional. There are five lines on either side representing the five players on each team in a basketball game. The fluid lines symbolize the movement and agility of the players on the court surrounding the black circle in the middle — which, of course, signifies the basketball.

46. Boston Bruins

The American Football team, The Boston Bruins' has a logo featuring a bold 'B' in a 'B-spoke' gold and yellow wheel. The wheel is a nod to the city of Boston, which is known as 'The Hub', after Oliver Wendell Holmes referred to Boston's state house as "The Hub of the Solar System" in 1858. The Bruins logo represents the team's pride in Boston and its history.

47. Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are named after California's nickname, "The Golden State." The team's instantly recognizable logo features one of California's most recognizable landmarks: San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The modern design also features the Golden State Warriors' colors of blue and gold, and it brilliantly represents their pride in California and deep connection to San Francisco.

48. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks, formed in 1980, is a relatively young team in the NBA — hence the name, which represents the team's wild and young spirit. The modern circular emblem features a basketball and a spirited horse with a fierce expression in the team's colors of blue, silver, and black.

49. Tottenham Hotspur

The English football (soccer) team, Tottenham Hotspur, has a logo featuring a cockerel standing on a soccer ball that has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1967 — although the cockerel has been the team's emblem since 1921. Why? The club is named after Sir Henry Percy, whose family owned much of Northumberland. Known as Sir Harry Hotspur, Percy got his nickname from wearing spurs on his boots to quicken his horses, and he was a fan of fighting cocks — which he also happened to equip with spurs.

50. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears were founded in 1920. In 2023, the team introduced one of the coolest sports logos in American football — a new version of the team's famous roaring bear in contrasting navy blue and rich orange.

Final Thoughts

The 50 sports logos we've explored all capture the spirit, pride, and heritage of the teams and the communities they represent.

If you're feeling inspired and want to create an impactful logo for your project or business, you can create one in minutes with LogoMe's AI tool — get started for free here.

‍