(SoccerForUSPod's Bart Keeler drops by with an early review for Season 30 in MLS)
Find all the images and explanations here: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-jersey-week-see-every-new-kit-for-the-2025-season
What’s spicy and what is bland? Here are all 32 new Major League Soccer kits for 2025 rated according to the Taco Bell sauces.
Whether you call it a kit or a uniform, a shirt or a jersey, it’s a symbol of a soccer club’s identity and a ubiquitous sight in stadiums. Diehard fans will probably buy the jersey no matter the design but group chats and soccer bars will debate their fashionability each year.
Adidas gives MLS teams one new kit each year, except for when they decide Inter Miami should get two new shirts for the upcoming season. San Diego also launched two new kits as it’s their inaugural season. In total, MLS fans will see 16 home and 16 away shirts debut in 2025.
Using the Taco Bell sauces, I rated each new kit for the 2025 MLS season. For reference, those sauces are (from spiciest to least): Diablo, Fire, Hot, Mild, and Verde.
Atlanta United - The Connector - Home
The Five Stripes will again wear a shirt with five stripes. This looks quite similar to the previous home shirt, but uses red stripes on a black shirt atop black shorts and socks. The gold accents do elevate a relatively basic design.
MILD
Austin FC - The Heartbeat - Home
Our first “heart” associated kit on the list, Austin combines two shades of green – or Verde – with vertical stripes and uses black accents. The shirt definitely radiates green and I give them props for using black shorts and socks instead of opting for a monochromatic look.
HOT
Charlotte FC - The Fortress - Away
Yes, Charlotte is sporting an all-black kit in 2025, but the sword design on the shirt is exquisite. The Charlotte blue piping on the shirt, shorts and socks pop against the dark color as well. They also get a lot of points for using their secondary logo – monogram CLTFC – because it’s better than the primary mark.
HOT
Chicago Fire FC - The Municipal - Away
If you’re not from Chicago, you probably won’t appreciate the sublimated design on the 2025 jersey. If you are from Chicago, you immediately recognize the Chicago Municipal Device. While I don’t love monochromatic kits, the shorts and socks are the same unique shade of light blue-gray.
HOT
FC Cincinnati - Orange & Blue Legacy - Home
Calling your kit by its colors is pretty basic. Unfortunately, I just don’t jive with this. Using a wide orange sash to break up the two shades of blue on the shirt probably sounded better than it looks – especially because the Adidas template doesn’t extend across the full front of the jersey.
VERDE
Colorado Rapids - The Headwaters - Away
The concept, the colors, the alternate crest, and cause are fantastic. Unfortunately, the shirt reads like water has sprayed from the faucet when you wash your hands. I respect the concept, tho, and more teams should take swings like this.
MILD
Columbus Crew - Goosebumps - Away
The first-ever glow-in-the-dark kit in MLS history is a real winner. It honors the Goosebumps books (and TV series, I guess) so well but still comes off as a great soccer jersey. They also pull the volt yellow into the shorts and socks for a total slay.
DIABLO
D.C. United - The Soul - Away
Yes, the base is just a white shirt, but this kit uses the template cutouts better than any other this season. With a funky design and colors, this shirt honors the music heritage of DC. The badge also features this design behind the screaming eagle. Fantastic stuff
FIRE
FC Dallas - Inferno - Away
It’s not a plain white t-shirt but it’s just barely a creative piece. The kit just doesn’t have any interesting elements. They didn’t even add red to the socks.
VERDE
Houston Dynamo - Forever Orange - Home
For me, Houston shirts are always at least mild because orange is a unique color in the soccer universe. This kit, though, adds a nice subliminal design with the Space City Blue accents. But the name is another “Forever Color” idea, which isn’t unique. However, the orange-white-orange kit with the blue accent carrying down the entire package is nice.
HOT
Inter Miami CF - Euphoria - Home
It’s pink, which is unfortunately not automatic for this team each year. As much as I want to take away points for modeling this off the Argentina national team jersey, it’s just too good of a shirt to knock it that much.
HOT
Inter Miami CF - Fortitude - Away
Adidas gave Miami two new kits this year, which seems to be the wrong decision. Not only is their 2025 secondary kit not different enough from the 2024 secondary kit, it might be more boring. This is a sad lack of creativity for a team that should have some great kits.
VERDE
LA Galaxy - The Rizon - Away
LA has figured out how to create some uniquely fashionable but also bold secondary jerseys. This one looks fantastic, using lots of colors that both blend well but remain distinct. It’s a fantastic shirt to sell coming off a sixth MLS Cup title.
DIABLO
Los Angeles FC - 2025 Secondary - Away
The white and gold kit is earning a lot of love, but not from me. It’s not that interesting other than using gold in the accents and having a collar. It’s giving kid who just likes shiny things putting glitter on a piece of paper.
VERDE
Minnesota United - The Convergence - Away
This is a brilliant way to combine multiple shades of color into one and represent the city well. But all that might not translate well on TV. It’s not a miss from Minnesota, but not as great as others they’ve put out.
MILD
CF Montreal - Original - Home
Much like Atlanta, I applaud them for finding a look that distinguishes their team on the field in MLS. But it’s nothing more than stripes. Good for them not trying to name this kit something silly, though.
MILD
Nashville SC - Heart of Nashville - Away
Is this the least creative kit of 2025? Probably. It’s just a blue shirt with yellow accents. The team’s colors very literally transposed into the Adidas template, nothing else. This feels like you ordered the beef soft taco and that’s good enough, but you requested sauces cause the attendant asked.
VERDE
New England Revolution - Eastern White Pines - Away
This concept is fantastic; pulling from the geographic uniqueness and heritage connects the kit to fans. The pine green design works well with the darker shade of navy. It’s not the most beautiful but it’s unique. The best part is putting the pine needle design on the sleeves as well.
HOT
New York City FC - The Excelsior - Home
I really enjoy that NYCFC has found varying ways to keep the general concept for their home kit the same. This color stands out but the subtle skyscraper design will look good on fans while adding some visual intrigue to the on-field players.
MILD
New York Red Bulls - Stone - Away
Red Bulls get credit for making some design attempts. The sublimated pattern looks like a Minecraft creation, not “stone,” as the name implies. It’s alright, but nothing to cheer about for the MLS Cup runners-up.
MILD
Orlando City - The Perfect Storm - Home
There’s something to be said for embracing the thing that nearly flooded your entire state last year. Orlando used a dark purple base for shirt and socks, but break it up with royal purple socks. The jersey pattern installs a dynamic texture as well. It’s a very nice kit.
HOT
Philadephia Union - Voltage - Away
Ben Franklin invented electricity and he’s from Philadelphia. That’s the inspiration for Philly’s kit this year. It may seem simple, but this kit has a shocking look with the volt yellow shorts. As a bonus, the kit’s colors are cousins of the club’s colors, so it still feels like it goes with the brand.
FIRE
Portland Timbers - Forever Green & Gold - Home
At first glance, this is just a dark green kit with gold accents, which is a classy look. But further inspection shows subtle tree rings radiating from the badge and some on the side cutouts. It might be the most enduring look from the 2025 collection, feeling both novel and timeless. The understated beauty makes this such a striking kit.
DIABLO
Real Salt Lake - Grid City - Away
Checks on a jersey aren’t new in the world of soccer but they’re elements not often found in MLS. RSL use them to beautifully deviate from the rest. Plus, it’s not an all-white kit. It’s almost perfect, but I can’t seem to get behind the red Adidas accents on the shirt not matching the gold accents on the shorts, but I also appreciate incorporating all three club colors into this.
FIRE
San Diego FC - Inaugural and Community - Home and Away
The league debutants come from a city rich in color and history; a simmering pot of Southwest, Mexican, American, coastal and urban cultures. None of that is represented in anything about the identity of San Diego FC. They’ve missed entirely. The home shirt is saved by the color gradient in the template cutouts, but it’s still a bland black shirt. The away kit is bland, unimaginative, and basic. This club seems hellbent on being dull. Both kits get the worst rating of the pack; they refused the sauce at the counter.
SAUCELESS
San Jose Earthquakes - The Headliner - Home
I love this concept, even if it hasn’t translated the best. San Jose has leaned into using black and blue in various ways, and this is another inventive design from them. I don’t think it comes off as well as they had hoped, but it sets them apart from the rest of the league and uniqueness deserves applause.
FIRE
Seattle Sounders - Salish Sea - Away
This is easily my favorite kit for the 2025 season. It’s an intriguing color palette with a design that deserves recognition. The way they were able to transpose the native weave pattern into a print is astounding. Seattle really has the best uniforms in the league right now.
DIABLO
Sporting Kansas City - One KC - Home
Having the continuing creative brief might seem limiting but SKC has found ways to make it different every time. This one uses the Missouri-Kansas state line to create the hoops. Doing so lets more of the light blue out of the kit. It might not stand the test of time but it looks great for 2025.
HOT
St. Louis CITY SC - Forever CITY Red - Home
I’m not entirely sure what St. Louis City was trying to say with this jersey. The “five stripes” sash isn’t noticeable enough. If the concept is red, they nailed it, but it’s sinfully boring. The collar doesn’t even add intrigue to the shirt. Also, they lose points for being the last team to release a kit named “Forever,” another sign the creativity is lacking.
VERDE
Toronto FC - Club - Home
The use of shades of red really works for me, especially because Toronto seems confused about which shade is actually theirs. The darker red sleeves and side panels create a noticeable contrast with the bold red body, which should read well on fans and players.
HOT
Vancouver Whitecaps FC - The Peak - Home
Vancouver took what Chicago dropped, picked it up, and made it seem like no one else has ever done it. The solid blue hoop that extends across the chest and sleeves is a clean and classy design and it works superbly.
FIRE
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