Manchester United forced to alter new third kit to meet UEFA Champions League rules

Manchester United’s newly unveiled third kit will require a last-minute alteration before it can be worn in the Champions League, with UEFA regulations forcing the club to add the Snapdragon wordmark to the shirt for all European fixtures.

The strip, released last week, features a distinctive three-logo design running down the centre of the chest — the Red Devil crest, a Snapdragon fireball emblem, and the Adidas three-stripe logo. Unlike United’s home and away kits, it omits the ‘Snapdragon’ wordmark entirely, a deliberate aesthetic choice made in agreement with Adidas and Snapdragon to give the jersey what the club described as “a fresh style and clean look that is unique for this season.”

However, UEFA rules require that the same version of a sponsor’s logo appears across every kit a club uses within the Champions League. Because the home and away shirts carry the full Snapdragon wordmark, the third kit must match — meaning the wordmark will be added to the shirt whenever United wear it in the competition.

In a club statement, United confirmed: “UEFA rules mean that the ‘Snapdragon’ wordmark will be added to our players’ shirts for any Champions League matches it is worn in. This is because the same version of a logo must be used across all of a club’s kits in the tournament, so the sponsor on the third strip needs to match that on our new home and away releases, which feature the wordmark.”

Snapdragon has been United’s principal shirt sponsor since the start of the 2024/25 campaign. Adidas, meanwhile, signed a 10-year kit deal with the club in 2023 reported to be worth £900 million.

For domestic competition, the third kit will be worn in its original form without the wordmark. The alteration applies exclusively to Champions League fixtures, leaving the shirt’s intended design intact for Premier League and cup matches.

On the pitch, manager Michael Carrick’s side open their Premier League season away at newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday. United’s pre-season included defeats against Wrexham and AC Milan, wins over Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid, and draws against Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds.

“I think, as a whole, it’s been good,” Carrick said. “I think there are a lot of positives to take from it. I think a lot of the performances, I think the group has grown and got stronger.”