Congrats. You no longer have to look at FootyHeadlines leaks that are 90% correct. You can look at the real, 100% correct version of your team’s latest kit and know that Matchday 1 of the 2026 MLS season is fast approaching.
Here are 10 kits that (regardless of subjective opinions on whether they’re good or bad) stood out in the crowd.
Author’s note: My qualifications for building this list are… I’m still not really sure, to be honest. Someone asked me to start doing posts like this sometime around 2020 because I was in my early 20s (I guess?). Nobody in charge has questioned it ever since.
Well, this is a change.
Normally, it’d be tough to applaud a team for moving away from their established primary kit identity. But, even if it might end up being divisive, I think this is one of the better looks of the bunch this year.
If you’re going to go all black – too many teams across sports do – you’ve got to make the details interesting. The multicolored trim, burgundy shoulder stripes and sky blue accents elevate this from something bland to something unique.
Whether that works as a primary kit is up to you. But the Rapids took a big risk here. From an outside point of view, the Colorful Colorado Kit mostly paid off.
BUY NOW: Atlanta United’s Spirit of '96 Kit
It can be hard to explain to someone outside of Atlanta how big a deal the 1996 Summer Olympics are here. It’s been 30 years, and people still can’t believe we got that thing. OutKast hadn’t even released “Player's Ball” yet, and the committee still decided to give us a whole entire Olympics.
With the 30th anniversary approaching, this kit practically had to be tied to the games. The only question was if they’d get the look right.
Frankly, I think they nailed it with the Spirit of '96 Kit. The colorway matches the original 1996 Olympics branding, and the gold medal badge is an excellent touch. This is Atlanta United’s best-ever secondary kit by a significant margin.
BUY NOW: San Jose Earthquakes' The Dead Kit
A Grateful Dead-themed kit would have been a winner (and a must buy for Tom Bogert) in any year. But the Dead Kit hits a little harder after the recent passing of Dead founding member Bob Weir.
The tie-dye look stands out as one of the most interesting in this year’s crop of kits.
BUY NOW: St. Louis CITY SC’s Tina Turner Kit
I don’t know about you, but I did a quadruple take when I saw the name of this one. I didn’t know about Tina Turner’s connections to St. Louis, and I’m willing to bet this is the first time she’s been talked about on MLSsoccer.com.
Even without those connections, the Tina Turner Kit looks sharp. The textured gold could have been an easy miss, but they executed it well. And the small details like Turner’s signature and likeness make it a one-of-one kit in MLS history.
BUY NOW: LAFC’s 2026 Primary Kit
LAFC went back to the Art Deco well with the Primary Kit, and no one will complain.
It’s a slightly altered take on 2022’s '5 Years Strong' jersey, which still retains many of the original's strengths.
The art deco patterns are becoming a key part of LAFC’s identity. Establishing a strong primary look that everyone will instantly recognize as “LAFC” is never a bad thing.
BUY NOW: Inter Miami CF’s Presagio Kit
In the same vein as LAFC, Inter Miami are sticking with establishing a clear visual identity here. And, well, look, Lionel Messi is going to wear it, so approximately a billion people will too. That's why you should probably be aware of the Presagio Kit.
Also, I like the collar. I’m sorry, but I’m pro-collar. If you’re booing me right now, it’s because you’ve never been asked by a significant other to change out of your collarless sports attire into something more formal. Check your privilege.
The Revs have found a way to work a tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States into a clear nod to the club's place in a history-rich region. That’s something close to whatever “synergy” actually is.
On top of that, the Independence Day Kit is just a good-looking jersey.
Like a few other teams on this list, Charlotte FC already have an established primary that looks great. Sometimes taking a swing is worth it; sometimes you just need to use what you know will work.
The Carolina Kit: Crowns Up works, and the royalty-themed trim is a nice added touch to one of the league’s best colorways.
The name (Unprecedented Unity Kit) doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but the sentiment behind it is worth noting.
The kit, designed by local artist Pigmento, celebrates the connection between San Diego and Tijuana.
The Coastal Jersey is firmly in the "not a super in-depth backstory, but who cares because this looks really good” category.
Congrats to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on producing a kit that pops on and off the pitch. Great work by everyone involved.
