That's the 2025 MLS All-Star Jersey? Really? | OneFootball

Amid a month of otherwise completely forgettable soccer on both the club and international level in the United States, the Major League Soccer front office has thrown those of us in the media a much-needed bone with something truly invigorating to write about: The new front-runner in the ceaseless, eternal competition for Most Boring adidas Kit Of All-Time.

The new 2025 MLS All-Star Jersey is so devoid of anything remarkable that it's fair to question whether it actually exists. Maybe that's some metaphor about how it feels to try and play soccer. In July. In Austin.

The jersey is white. It has three stripes. An adidas logo. Some weird cactus patch at the bottom that screams "Mexican restaurant run by a Gringo!"

And in lieu of a shirt sponsor, if you look at the front up close with your eyes out of focus, eventually you'll see a 3-dimensional holographic headshot of Phil West, Dean of the Austin FC beat at Verde All Day and very occasional MLS Multiplex contributor. (Well, unless you're Mister Pitt.)

Traditionally, adidas has always erred toward sleek and simple. When it works, it works. When it doesn't, it can be extremely bland, as evidenced by 75% of the New England Revolution jerseys ever manufactured, and 100% of those ever worn by Teal Bunbury.

Context is also important here: After the design team took quite a few chances with the last two MLS All-Star Jerseys in 2023 and 2024, the drastic change in direction tells us this: We now know with 100% certainty the target of at least one of the German company's 500 layoffs back in January.

Look at all the colors!

This is all pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things. But it is quite the statement against the backdrop of the FIFA Club World Cup being held on American soil, a competition that has served as a not-so-subtle reminder of how much more colorful the club game can be when it's not presented by RBC Wealth Management.

From PSG's Eiffel Tower-themed away strip, to the gaudy Dortmund home number that is among seven Club World Cup kits created by someone or something called KidSuper, to the traditional but unique color combinations of ES Tunis and Fluminense, the whole tournament is a giant reminder that there are a lot more possibilities out there when you let each team make their own relationship with a manufacturer.

FBL-WC-CLUB-2025-MATCH33-SEATTLE-PSG | PABLO PORCIUNCULA/GettyImages

The league and adidas still have five years remaining on their current contract. And in all fairness, the overall quality and diversity of kits have improved significantly since the start of the pandemic. But man, this All-Star jersey gives some heavy MLS 1.0 vibes.

Maybe that's a not-so-subliminal indictment on the whole All-Star concept, which only feels more dated with each passing year as the league becomes a more active participant in -- and, um, acknowledger of? -- the vast club football marketplace that exists beyond its 30 clubs.