This year is a truly special one for the U.S. Women’s National Team. First assembled in 1985, the American ladies have weathered all the ups and downs over the decades, and now, in 2025, they celebrate 40 years of greatness. Given how remarkable this milestone is, it was only natural for them to mark the occasion. And what better way to do it than by giving the USWNT a brand new look?

With that, the US Soccer officially unveiled the new kits for its both men’s and women’s national teams on Monday. Of course, it was only natural for the federation to make the call, considering that either side gears up for a fresh cycle. Courtesy of official sponsor Nike, the USSF insists that these new kits “blend American fashion, cultural identity, and team heritage into a statement of purpose and pride.”

Some revered senior players from both teams were called for a photo shoot, including the likes of Lynn Biyendolo, Naomi Girma, and Catarina Macario, as well as Christen Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and DeAndre Yedlin from the men’s pool. Talking about the home shirt, it comes in a white shade, with red and blue colors on the edges. The overall pattern also has a modern silhouette in a grey shade, which, according to USSF, reflects the “optimism, leadership, and evolution of the game.”

As for the away shirt, it comes in a dark blue shade, featuring red and blue stripes. It is also termed “The Heartbeat kit”, which is a shoutout to their ardent fanbase for their evergreen support and unified passion. Except for the brilliant white kit, this dark kit will also be shared by the men’s team. Interestingly, Maggie Gauger, Vice President/GM of Nike North America Women’s Business shared the American lifestyle company’s thought process and motivation behind these designs.

“This collection represents Nike’s deep commitment to women’s soccer as an undeniable force that continues to elevate the game globally,” Gauger said, as per the US Soccer. “The refreshed designs honor the brilliance of the U.S. Women’s National Team — celebrating 40 years of legacy, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements both on and off the pitch.”

Well, the players won’t deny as speaking for the entire USWNT was veteran forward Lynn Biyendolo. “To me, the kits represent the USWNT mentality of always pushing forward,” said the 31-year-old. “The Brilliant Kit is just another way to honor our past and the women who played before us.”

It’s not just a couple of home and away jerseys; the Nike X US Soccer collaboration has also unveiled additional apparel pieces which include a pre-match top in blood red color. One can also see some star shapes on the shirt, which the federation explains as a symbolic gesture of “unity and diverse voices of the U.S. Soccer community.” Another accessory that this collection boasts is an anthem jacket, which also looks quite neat. It features a conceptual, faded composition of red and blue stars.

Notably, these collections are expected to make their debut quite soon. The USWNT will wear the brilliant light home kit on May 31 in St. Paul, Minn., against China PR, while the USMNT will retain its existing white home kit but debut the Heartbeat Kit on June 7 in East Hartford, Conn., against Turkey. While one might expect fans to eagerly await seeing both teams in their new looks, the response so far seems to be a bit of a double-edged sword.

US Soccer stirs debate over new USWNT and USMNT kits

After glimpses of both the home and away kits were shared, it compelled the soccer world to voice their candid thoughts—and from the looks of it, the reactions were bittersweet, with some fans thrilled by the fresh designs, while others were quick to rant and take digs at the makeover.

Well, it’s not like fans have a problem with both jerseys. While the brilliant light kit couldn’t have been more soothing to everyone’s eyes, it’s the away kit that people seem upset with. Sure, everyone has creative differences, but this fan believes Nike could have done much better for USWNT and USMNT with the stripes:

“The white jersey is okay. That stripe jersey is terrible 😢. Come on @nike you can do better.”

Given how sports lifestyle companies like Nike have associations with numerous national teams and clubs, it’s not feasible to expect unique designs every time. Some of them may resemble other teams’ kits. But, at times, the similarities can get a bit too obvious, as in the case of the kits that Great Britain and American track stars wore at the World Relays. While those kits invited some backlash of their own, the new U.S. soccer kits also seemed to have been flagged for an alleged lack of originality.

“Nike absolutely refuses to come up with anything original for the US NT. I wonder which major club’s 25-26 home kit they used as the template for the “heartbeat” kit, or if they just blended these 2 recent kits.”

In the heartbeat shirt’s defense, USSF insists that that jersey not only unites everyone but pushes the game forward, but is also being designed with a “heritage-meets-street style aesthetic,” that channels the pulse of the soccer nation. Yet, this fan didn’t hesitate and had a rather vocal verdict on the jersey’s design:

“Ugly piece of s**t….. pass on this mindless monstrosity”

Then again, not everyone is against these kits. This netizen was quite supportive of Nike and U.S. Soccer’s decision to move forward with them. Just like Liz Lafitte, chair of the U.S. Soccer Fan Council, expressed the federation’s hopes to see fans in the stadiums wearing these kits, we believe those in favor will surely help turn this vision into a reality:

“These are lovely. We finally get two kit sets that are top-tier. 8.5/10″

Fun fact: both of these jerseys, designed by Nike, are made while keeping in mind all kinds of sustainable considerations. Believe it or not, the jersey is made from 100% recycled polyester sourced from plastic bottles, while the shorts contain at least 80% recycled material. And on top of that, the fact it matches the vibe of this fan is indeed a cherry on top:

“FINALLY AFTER YEARS OF MEDIOCRE KITS. USA has a fire kit, the home kit especially isn’t just a bland white kit! Now lets see if this side actually want to play football in these kits….”

Either way, this is just a glimpse of the reactions from fans regarding these fresh pieces from Nike and U.S. Soccer. For those who aren’t impressed, perhaps seeing the players wear them on the pitch will change their minds.