A die-hard Orlando City SC supporter and devoted jersey collector, I’ve been envious seeing 15 other clubs unveil stunning MLS Archive Collection third kits over the past two seasons. That’s why today’s news from FootyHeadlines.com is especially exciting! Indeed, Orlando are among eight teams set to receive an Adidas MLS Archive Collection third kit in 2026.
Aside from special edition Parley, PRIMEBLUE, and One Planet shirts worn on one-off, cause-related occasions, 2026 will be the first time City have ever had an official third kit in Major League Soccer. And surely, it has to be red?
Today’s unofficial announcement builds on Adidas’ revival of their “Freekick” magazine earlier this summer, which coincided with the 2025 MLS Archive Collection launch. That launch saw 10 additional clubs join the program after the inaugural 2024 rollout, when five teams unveiled third kits. The “Freekick” issue also revealed that eight more MLS sides would follow in 2026 – and now we know Orlando are one of them.
2024 MLS Archive Collection
(Credit: Major League Soccer)
First launched in 2024, the Adidas x MLS Archive Collection introduced a series of third kits inspired by vintage aesthetics.
These kits were not just jerseys. They were part of a broader lifestyle collection that included track jackets and custom Gazelle shoes.
Each piece was tied together by a throwback visual narrative inspired by sports broadcasting, print media, and catalogue styles of past eras.
Initially, the Adidas x MLS Archive Collection featured five clubs in 2024:
- Inter Miami (Easy Mint)
- LA Galaxy (RetroGrade Kit)
- Los Angeles FC (Soul To Sol)
- Portland Timbers (The Clive Kit)
- Sporting Kansas City (Wizards Reimagined)
2025 MLS Archive Collection
(Credit: Major League Soccer)
The Adidas x MLS Archive Collection returned for a second year in 2025, expanding on the nostalgia-infused concept introduced in 2024.
This edition introduced third kits for 10 MLS clubs, inspired by the late ’90s and early 2000s with vibrant colours, bold patterns, and classic branding.
The Adidas x MLS Archive Collection featured these clubs earlier this summer:
- Charlotte FC (The Heritage Kit)
- Colorado Rapids (Original Green Kit)
- Columbus Crew (The Heritage Kit)
- D.C. United (The Archive Kit)
- FC Dallas (Legacy Kit)
- Minnesota United (Heritage Kit)
- Nashville SC (Nashville Nostalgia Kit)
- New England Revolution (The ’96 Kit)
- San Jose Earthquakes (Rewind Kit)
- Seattle Sounders (The Orca Kit)
2026 MLS Archive Collection
As FootyHeadlines.com revealed today, eight more MLS clubs will join the Adidas x MLS Archive Collection in 2026.
These teams are:
- Austin FC
- Chicago Fire
- Houston Dynamo
- CF Montréal
- Orlando City SC
- Philadelphia Union
- Real Salt Lake
- Vancouver Whitecaps
The third kits will debut in summer 2026, with some inspired by each club’s history and others crafted as fresh, retro-styled classics.
My 2026 Orlando third kit prediction
Orlando City SC’s 2024/25 away jersey – “The Legacy Kit” – brought back the club’s original three-headed lion crest, albeit in a modernised form, with glory red and gold accents set against a lavender base.
(Credit: Orlando City SC)
(Credit: Orlando City SC)
Looking ahead, I believe our 2026 adidas x MLS Archive Collection kit will feature a red body, with the traditional three-headed lion crest in its original form.
💜 #𝙃𝙊𝙉𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙃𝙔𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 ❤️
Back on December 16, 2010, @OrlandoCitySC’s USL logo was revealed for the very first time. 👇🏽
🦁🦁🦁
From 2012, a star was added, commemorating our first USL Pro Championship title, secured in 2011. ⭐️#OCTwitter #OrlandoCity #MLSUK pic.twitter.com/YVWdS8oY3g
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) February 13, 2024
While #OCTwitter has long hoped for a black third kit, red feels like the natural choice if Adidas lean into our history rather than a fresh, retro-styled classic.
After all, red has always been tied to City’s identity.
The colour featured prominently on our original USL crest, and our first-ever Umbro home jersey in 2011 was white with red accents.
Both our 2011 and 2012 Umbro away kits were predominantly red, and in 2013, Lotto carried the tradition forward with a red third jersey.
As Kay Rawlins shared with me in 2020, red was originally used because Umbro didn’t have enough purple polyester at the time.
Since entering MLS in 2015, there has only been one nod to our former USL existence.
This was the incorporation of our original three-headed lion crest on the underside of our new crest on the 2015 Orlando City SC home jersey – a nice, albeit small tribute.
That’s why a red Archive kit in 2026 would feel like a fitting tribute to our early history – finally giving Orlando City SC’s USL tenure the full recognition it deserves.
The @OrlandoCitySC inaugural @MLS season jersey (2015) included the club’s former three-headed Lion USL crest on the underside / inside of the club’s new Lion crest. A fantastic nod to the club’s successful past in the minor league. 👏🏽🦁 pic.twitter.com/MLoJy7Cwzy
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) October 13, 2021
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