Jerseys

Blast from the past: Remembering the 1996 Major League Soccer jersey reveal

MLS 1996 jersey unveil event

Major League Soccer used to look a bit, well, different.


Look no further than the league’s jersey launch for the inaugural 1996 season, when marquee players descended on The Palladium, then an event hall in New York City’s Union Square neighborhood. To get a sense of the passage of time, that building is now a residence hall for New York University students.


There’s Tab Ramos, now head coach of the Houston Dynamo, who wouldn't exist for another 10 years, with the first New York/New Jersey MetroStars jersey, long before they were rebranded as the New York Red Bulls. John Harkes was even front and center for D.C. United, over two decades before his son, Ian, played for the Black-and-Red.

To put it lightly, MLS has changed significantly ahead of Wednesday evening’s FORWARD25 Jersey Celebration as part of Fashion Week in New York City.


The event will include the entire 2020 MLS jersey collection, as well as a new name and number font for all kits. Some key faces that’ll be part of the jersey presentation commemorating the 25th MLS season include professional gamer Ninja, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and MLS greats Alexi Lalas and Jaime Moreno. 


As new jerseys are revealed, be sure to check out MLSsoccer.com's dedicated page for all the latest images.