MLS got an overhaul with the unveiling of #MLSNEXT. Sporting a new crest, the rebrand replaces the traditional image of a soccer boot kicking a ball. The new icon features a shield accompanied by three white stars which represent “club, country and community,” according to the league. Meanwhile, the shield features a slash dividing it in two, which refers “to soccer’s speed and energy” while the perimeter symbolizes the “lines that mark off the field of play.” Meanwhile, each club will get a version of the league crest, “which better reflects their clubs identity and local market.”
“The new brand’s design is intended to say ‘soccer’ without the literal ball and cleat,” the league said with the announcement. “In the end, we decided that the inclusion of a ball and cleat is unnecessary as it dates us very quickly (due to the fast pace of innovation in our game) while many other ways exist to signal we are a soccer league. Our new brand will build meaning over time so that our new crest signifies soccer in North America and has a unique place in global sports.”