Manchester City unveil fan-designed third kit after 1.7 million public votes

Manchester City have launched their third kit for the 2026/27 season, a predominantly white shirt featuring a central two-tone sash — half sky blue, half navy — that was designed not by a professional studio but by a supporter named Elliott, following a global fan vote.

The process behind the strip is as notable as the design itself. City and kit manufacturer Puma invited supporters to submit written prompts through Puma’s AI Creator tool, which translated those ideas into visual shirt concepts. Fans from more than 200 countries generated 180,000 unique designs, which were then opened to public rating. After 1.7 million ratings were submitted, City and Puma shortlisted ten designs and put them to a final public vote.

Elliott’s entry came out on top. “City has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so to have designed a kit that will now be worn by the players is a genuine honour,” he said. “I created mine using Puma AI Creator on my lunch break, never imagining it could actually become a City kit.”

Elliott was later invited to the official kit shoot, where he saw his design on the players for the first time. “It still feels surreal to know I’ve played a small part in the club’s history,” he added.

City’s chief marketing and fan experience officer, Nuria Tarre, described the project as a natural extension of the club’s relationship with its global fanbase. “To be able to give fans the unique opportunity to be designers for a day and create one of our on-pitch kits this season, using the power of AI, is an extension of the deep connection that we have with our global fanbase,” she said. “It’s the first of its kind.”

The initiative reflects a broader trend of clubs using AI and crowd-sourced input in commercial projects, though having a fan-originated design reach the first team’s actual matchday wardrobe remains unusual at the top level of the game.