USMNT World Cup Kits Unveiled! | Unfiltered Soccer

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard

Episode: USMNT World Cup Kits Unveiled! | Unfiltered Soccer

Release Date: March 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this special bonus episode, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard dive into the long-anticipated unveiling of the new USMNT World Cup kits for 2026. The duo, both legendary USMNT alumni, offer their expert insights and lively banter as they break down the aesthetics, inspiration, fan expectations, and their own experiences wearing the crest. The conversation covers everything from design nostalgia to debates about a permanent kit identity for Team USA.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Kit Impressions and Nostalgia

• Immediate Positive Reaction: Both hosts are enthusiastic about the new kits’ look, noting distinct callbacks to the 1994 World Cup jerseys.
  • Landon Donovan: “They’re giving some serious nostalgic vibes… I love all the different things…” [00:04]
  • Tim Howard: “It’s certainly an homage to the ’94 kits where they had the vertical sort of wavy red lines and now they're horizontal. They look beautiful, honestly. They do.” [00:34]
• Away Kit Details:
  • Heavier blue with subtle stars visible up close, referencing the 2002 away kit.
  • “From afar it’s all navy and then there’s some, like, stars that you can see as you get closer, which is very cool.” – Tim Howard [00:47]

2. Anticipated Fan Reactions & Social Media

• Cautious optimism: Past kit launches, especially 2022, faced heavy online criticism—“bland,” “ugly.” The hosts expect a more positive response this time.
  • “You hope. I mean, fans are always sort of like wishing for something.” – Landon Donovan [01:25]
• Contrast with the past:
  • Recalling 2022’s reaction: “The away tie dyed look was coined as ugly. Weston McKinnie put out a tweet after and he said, I tried to tell them.” – Tim Howard [02:29]
  • Landon laughs about imagining the fallout for such social media feedback: “Imagine the conversation between the agent … the phone call you would get after that!” [02:50]
• Changing media landscape:
  • “Today it’s like everyone’s got an opinion.” – Tim Howard [02:55]

3. Personal Feelings & Rituals Around New Kits

• Both hosts describe the thrill of receiving new kits, regardless of design details.
  • “That feeling of a new, fresh kit was always so fun… Whenever the new kit dropped, you were like buzzing for it because you wanted to play in it.” – Landon Donovan [03:19]
• The kit is a symbol: “Anytime I wore the crest, it felt amazing.” – Landon Donovan [05:43]

4. Behind the Scenes: Players' Input & Kit Selection

• Very limited player influence on design, especially for outfield players; some input for color preferences among goalkeepers.
  • “You might have a little bit of say, but not a lot, man.” – Landon Donovan [05:14]
• Goalkeeper kits often seen just weeks before launch; mostly focused on color options.

5. Kit Quality, Material, and Iconic Memories

• They recount some "hideously ugly" and uncomfortable US kits from early careers, especially the PanAm Games in Winnipeg.
  • “These jerseys, dude, not only are they ugly, they're hideously ugly. They were so big and so heavy. I have pictures where it looks like I'm wearing a dress.” – Tim Howard [06:03]
• Material complaints, particularly with the 2002 World Cup kits:
  • “The material was… so humid in South Korea… I had to like, have people peel it off my body.” – Tim Howard [08:41]
  • “It wasn’t even like a dry fit material. It was dry fit, but… almost sandpapery material. Like, it didn’t feel like a shirt. It felt rough.” – Landon Donovan [09:08]

6. Kit Logos and the Crest

• The evolution of the USMNT badge is discussed fondly—nostalgia for the 1994 style, and appreciation for the new modern look.
  • “The logo is amazing, right? Just the US with the soccer ball in it in ’94… The new logo is just amazing.” – Landon Donovan [06:14]
  • Trivia: The centennial crest used in the 2010s was actually a leased rugby logo! [06:56]

7. The Case for a Standard, Iconic USMNT Jersey

• Strong Argument for Consistency:
  • Landon advocates for a permanent home kit design in the style of Brazil or Argentina as a marker of identity.
    • “Red and white should be standard. Do you change the direction of the lines, the thickness of the waves? Yeah, maybe, but… We should always know that's a U.S. jersey, in my opinion.” – Landon Donovan [11:15]
  • Tim agrees and points to 1994 and 2026, both home World Cups, as ideal bookends.
    • “It was the home World cup in 94, and now it’s the home World cup in 26… That’s what it can be.” – Tim Howard [11:35]
  • Landon crystallizes the concept: “Who are we? We're the stars and stripes.” [11:52]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social Media and Kit Critique (Weston McKinnie’s 2022 tweet):

  • “The away tie dyed look was coined as ugly. Weston McKinnie put out a tweet after and he said, I tried to tell them.” – Tim Howard [02:29]

• On Wearing the Crest:

  • “Anytime I wore the crest, it felt amazing.” – Landon Donovan [05:43]

• On US Iconography:

  • “Who are we? We’re the stars and stripes.” – Landon Donovan [11:52]

• On Kit Tradition and Identity:

  • “That Brazil jersey has to be yellow, right? When Messi turns up, he ain’t turning up in anything other than light blue and white stripes. That’s it.” – Landon Donovan [10:32]

• Humor on Old Kit Sizing:

  • “I have pictures where it looks like I’m wearing a dress.” – Tim Howard [06:03]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:04–01:25] — Immediate reactions; breakdown of new home and away kits
• [01:25–02:55] — Fan expectations; reflections on past criticism via social media
• [03:19–05:16] — Emotional impact of new kits; discussion of players’ influence on design
• [06:01–07:22] — Stories about ugly/awkward past kits and the evolution of logos
• [07:37–09:47] — Favorite kits through history and infamous kit tech failures
• [10:14–12:16] — Debate on a permanent, instantly-recognizable USMNT jersey identity

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Conclusion

This episode is a fast-moving, nostalgic, and insightful conversation about what the US men's national team jersey means to players and fans. Landon Donovan and Tim Howard highlight the emotional and symbolic power of the kit, critique past missteps, celebrate the 2026 designs, and make a persuasive case for establishing permanent stripes and stars as central to the USMNT identity. The tone is light, nostalgic, but also passionate about tradition and footballing culture in America.

Transcript

[A]

This bonus content is brought to you by Coca Cola and Carnival Cruise Line. LD the time has finally arrived. What almost every fan is hoping for, wishing for this day. U.S. national Team New World cup kits have finally been released. They're giving some serious nostalgic vibes. I, I love, I'm just gonna start there. We're gonna break it down and we're saying about. I love all the different things, but

[B]

love, yeah, I mean, all right, let's give, let's just give a little breakdown on what, what they are. So this is the first time since 94 where the majority of the shirt has not been white. So 98, 02, 06, 10, 14, 22, all there's basically white. This is not, it's certainly an homage to the 94 kits where they had the vertical sort of wavy red lines and now they're horizontal. They look beautiful, honestly. They do. The away shirt is sort of more of an 02 to 00:10 style away shirt with most, if you look at it from afar, it's all navy and then there's some, like, stars that you can see as you get closer, which is very cool. I, I, I think, do you agree the fan reaction is going to be a little better than 02 and.

[A]

Well, you hope. I mean, you know, I think fans are always sort of like wishing for something. Then they get, they get an idea or image in their mind which they've created and then when it does and you're disappointed. But I do think, I do think these, like the, the vertical, you know, going, going from the horizontal sort of stripes in 94 to the ver, which by the way, got lost because as soon as they, soon as they broke out the denim kit, that no one cared about the, the stripes. But I like this. I, I think this is a jersey I will be wearing. Yeah, I think.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

It's, it's, you know, to the game, I think. I'm, Are you, are you going to the first game?

[B]

I am. First US game.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll be there. You're not calling. You're going as you go.

[B]

I'm on the desk. No, I'm on the desk.

[A]

Oh, you're on the desk.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

So I'm going to wear, I'm going be wearing this jersey with Donovan 10 on the back and, and then, and then I can come, I can come pitch side and wave to you. Okay. I don't think anyone's let me pitch side, by the way. No, they're not, but I will wear it. It's Cool. And I think the fans will love it. And I, I'm just. I'm just imagining tens of thousands of us fans in the stadium with that on. It's going to look pretty sweet.

[B]

Yeah, it's going to be cool. So let just, let's go back to 2022 because the, I guess the takeaway overall was basically, it was bland and the. The away tie dyed look was coined as ugly. Weston McKenna put out a tweet after and he said, I tried to tell them imag.

[A]

Im. Was he a Nike athlete at the time? Imagine. Imagine the conversation between the agent.

[B]

Imagine the phone call you would get after that. Oh, God. Amazing. I'm trying to think, like, because social media didn't exist certainly at the end of my national team career, maybe more for you. Do you remember, like, people bashing it or talking about it online and stuff, like. Because I don't. It was just kind of like you would hear rumblings, but today it's like everyone's got an opinion.

[A]

You know, what's funny about it is I remember, like, this is how I thought about kits. I'm guessing you're the same. Like I. Because we had the good fortune of playing so often for the national team. That feeling of a new, fresh kit was always so fun, whether it was like a World cup year or not. Right. It's like whenever the new kit dropped, you were like buzzing for it because you wanted to play in it. Like almost historically, you're like, this is going to be for the next year or two years. I want to be seen in this. I want to be. I want to. I want to score goals in this. I want to. I want to make saves. So it was always exciting. So for me, even when the World cup kit dropped, it was never like a letdown. It was always like, this is what I'm going to be wearing in the World Cup. It was just exciting.

[B]

You're exciting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're excited.

[A]

So, but, but again, I don't. Because of, you know, going back to 2014. Obviously there was. There was, you know, the rise of social media probably in 2010 in South Africa and then 2014. It was there, but it wasn't as. It. It wasn't what it is now.

[B]

Well, and I certainly would not have gone online and like tweeted something because I was just like, that's reserved because I was a Nike athlete my whole career too. So I have been my whole life. So I just thought of something.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What's the process? Do they show the goalies? Goalie Kits. I didn't even think about that because I don't remember ever actually really seeing maybe seeing the kits, like, a few weeks before they would get launched.

[A]

That's above my pay grade. I was. I just.

[B]

Just put on.

[A]

I think. I think there was a time. It's a good question. I think there was a time when Jesse, who's our kit manager, I think there was a time where we all sort of elevated to a level where he would, like, sort of like, he would sort of behind the scenes through Nike, would say, like, hey, there's a color. Not even design. It's color scheme. Right? So you can. It'll be black or pink or green or like, what? And then he. He would sort of, like, ask me to steer. Like, no, no, the pink one looks good. Or. Or, yeah, definitely the black one. And then. And then you might have a little bit of say, but not a lot, man.

[B]

Well, it's interesting just because talking about Weston's tweet, he said, I tried to tell them, which means he was in the process.

[A]

He was in the point at some

[B]

point and said, no, this is not. This is not good. But ultimately, you know, people above all of us make those decisions. Did you feel. I was trying to think about this when Andrew asked, did you feel better playing in different kit? Did it matter to you?

[A]

No.

[B]

No, it didn't matter.

[A]

No, it didn't. I mean, anytime I wore the crest, it felt amazing.

[B]

So, yeah, I mean, unless I did some of the jerseys I wore in my early. Forget about national team prior to O2. Yeah, some of these jerseys we wore and like the PanAm games and whatever I have. I still have some. I should have brought them out.

[A]

Did we play in the same PanAm

[B]

games, by the way?

[A]

In Winnipeg?

[B]

In Winnipeg, yeah.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

These jerseys, dude, not only are they ugly, they're hideously ugly. They were so big and so heavy. I have pictures where it looks like I'm wearing a dress.

[A]

Like it was.

[B]

I mean, you remember?

[A]

I do.

[B]

They were insane.

[A]

You know what I'm looking at right now is I'm going through. I've got of the images we all have up of all the kits going back to 94. The logo is amazing, Right? So you got. You got just the U. You just got the US with the soccer ball in it in 94, which is kind of cool. And then the other logo, which we mostly played in, which is like, I don't know, it's kind of bang average. I loved it when I played with it. But then it was bang average. And then the new, the new logo, which is just amazing. The new. I remember, I think we've talked about it on the show. We. You were, you were part of the centennial year, weren't you? Were you playing? So that's 2,000. Yes.

[B]

I forget, but I remember it. Yeah.

[A]

And so the crest. And I remember us soccer telling me this because I, I, we use a crest that was a throwback. And I was like, this is amazing. We should be using this. And they had told me that they rented it or leased it from USA Rugby. I think it was a USA Rugby logo from, like, yesteryear. I don't know exactly what year. And so it wasn't like a standard low crest that we could use.

[B]

If you look though, like, even the Olympics and stuff this year, a lot of them are, have a lot of similarities, like between the USOC and soccer and rugby, and there's a lot of similarities to them, which I like, actually. Yeah, it's kind of a cool vibe.

[A]

Cool. Anyway, I, I, I like.

[B]

What was your favorite? 02 or let's say 94 to now.

[A]

So, so I, I think for me and every living, breathing soccer fan, the denim kit, the away kit in 94 was like, it was the first time our guys were on, like, on the world stage in 90. They were. But this was at home in our face. It was so radical, you know, to have like a what looked like a denim shirt and sort of the iconic wins that they had. Anyway, I think that is the one that stands out for me. I think the ones that I played in 2006, 2010, 2014, just bog standard. They're okay. They're okay. I mean, the sash in 2010 was cool. Maybe it's cool because we had iconic moments. Right. There's the Algeria game.

[B]

Yeah. That might tilt it.

[A]

The comeback against Slovenia. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe. I'm not really sure. You know, we played England to a draw, so maybe, maybe that was what makes stand out. But it's not like, it's not amazing.

[B]

I love the, the, the 2010 away kit, I think, is beautiful. The blue with the white sash, the one I hated because the material was the O2 kits. So, like, Tim, it was so humid in south, in South Korea, so humidity and you could not get the thing off. Yeah. I mean, I had to, like, have people, like, peel it off my body. It was shocking. Well, that's all I care. I just cared about the material. I didn't care.

[A]

Of course you did. Well, I think for, I Think for. For listeners who don't own that jersey, we have to sort of dive into it. So this was like a technology that Nike used back in 2002. So it wasn't even like a dry fit material. It was dry fit, but it had. It had this sort of almost sandpapery material. Like, it didn't feel like a shirt. It felt rough. And then it was almost like when you could pull it and it stretched. Right. Like it. Like it was. I'm trying to think, like sometimes he's like skinny denim jeans where they have that like.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Stretch.

[B]

Exactly right.

[A]

If that's what it felt like.

[B]

But a cheap version.

[A]

Yeah. Which is weird because it was like this new technology.

[B]

I know.

[A]

And, yeah, that was.

[B]

And it was. And yeah, when it got wet, like, you just couldn't get the thing. Thing off.

[A]

Wasn't there. Hang on. Am I right in saying wasn't there a layer underneath that was.

[B]

There was. That was the other thing. There was like this mesh layer, like this really light, and it was supposed to help you, like, breathe better and all this. I was like, no, there's no breathing going.

[A]

Sewn into that material was literally a. A base layer that was part of the jersey that was mesh. It's wild. If you've ever seen. If you ever can get.

[B]

That is wild. Question for you. Do you think we should have a standard kit like that is. That never changes, like a Brazil or a Croatia or.

[A]

You're teeing me up because you know my answer. Yeah, we should. I. You know, when you look at Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, Croatia, there's a. The. The manufacturer can change. It can be Nike, Adidas, Puma, whomever, right? But they have to make the same jersey. And now they can tweak it, right? They can make one. They make the collar a little bit different, or they could add a little bit more green somewhere on the sleeve to the Brazil jersey. But that Brazil jersey has to be yellow, right? When Messi turns up, he ain't turning up in anything other than light blue and white stripes. That's it. And so now, year to year, do the stripes on the Argentina jersey take shape where they're. They're thicker or smaller? Sure. But it's the same shirt. And I just sort of think with the US and this is a perfect example, which is a great lead in this vertically striped US Jersey, red and white should be standard. Do you change the direction of the. Of the lines? The thickness of the waves are. Yeah, maybe, but that should be. We should always know that's a U. S jersey, in my opinion.

[B]

Yeah. I was going to ask how would you get consensus right in this country with, you know, 400 million people? But, you know, what you just did is you just made up my mind because it was the home World cup in 94, and now it's the home World cup in 26. There you go. That's what it can be.

[A]

I love that. And the consensus is simply this. Who are we? We're the stars and stripes.

[B]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, we are. That's.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, that's.

[B]

That's well said.

[A]

The second jersey has stars on it. The first jersey has stripes on it. That's who we are. That's the most identifiable thing about this country, is our flag. So, like, yeah, I'm all in. If, you know, if Nike or whomever U.S. soccer listens to the show are good friends of U.S. soccer. Let's. Let's keep this moving forward.

[B]

All right? Listen to Timmy's hot take, Hot takes, cold coke. Open Seas Carnival is calling. Visit carnival.com unfiltered and stay tuned for more information on how you could win a Carnival cruise.