Man Utd forced into kit change before season has started to avoid rule break

Manchester United have had to make a change to one of their new kits already this summer

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Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer

13:09, 18 Aug 2026

[Bruno Fernandes in the new Manchester United third kit]

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Bruno Fernandes in the new Manchester United third kit(Image: 2026 Eurasia Sport Images)

Manchester United have been forced to make a change to one of their kits before the season has even kicked off in order to avoid breaking UEFA rules. The clubs new third strip was released last week.

It features three eye-catching central logos: the Red Devil crest, a Snapdragon fireball emblem and an Adidas' three-stripe logo. It marks a rapid departure from the club's home and away kits this season, as it doesn't feature 'Snapdragon' written across the front of the shirt.

The Old Trafford outfit have explained that they will have to alter the shirt for the Champions League, however. This means United's third shirt in Europe will feature the Snapdragon word mark, the same as their home and away strip, and not the Snapdragon symbol.

UEFA insist that jerseys worn in the Champions League must all be consistent with one another, meaning United's third kit must stay consistent their home and away.

A club statement read: "You have probably noticed that there is a different look to the latter, too. Our new third shirt doesn't feature the traditional 'Snapdragon' wordmark, yet the sponsor is still recognisable through its fireball, which has been ever-present on United's jerseys since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

"On our latest release, it forms part of an aesthetic three-pronged design down the centre of the shirt, done in agreement with adidas and Snapdragon to provide the jersey with a fresh style and clean look that is unique for this season.

"The Reds are due to sport the jersey when required across domestic competition this term, although 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."

[DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 12: (L-R) Youri Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Tyler Fletcher, Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw of Manchester United watch on during a penalty shoot out following pre-season friendly match between Leeds United and Manchester United at Croke Park on August 12, 2026 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)]

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United's third shirt will have to align with the club's home shirt in the Champions League(Image: 2026 Getty Images)

Snapdragon have been the club's primary sponsor since the beginning of the 2024/25 season. Sportswear giant Adidas signed a 10-year deal with United in 2023 worth a staggering 900million.

Michael Carricks side will kick off their Premier League season with an away trip to newly-promoted Hull on Saturday. They end the summer having suffered two defeats in pre-season against Wrexham and Milan, but they secured wins against Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid, and drew against Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds.

"I think, as a whole, it's been good," Carrick told MUTV. "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.

[WROCLAW, POLAND - 2026/08/15: Marcus Rashford of Manchester United seen during Super Match 2026 football match between Manchester United and AC Milan at Tarczynski Arena (Wroclaw). FInal Score; Manchester United 2:4 AC Milan. (Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)]

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United's third kit will look slightly different in the Champions League(Image: 2026 SOPA Images)

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"But on the whole, we're ready for next week. I think a lot of the boys will be better for the minutes, and as I said, we've done a lot of work on the training pitch. I think the performances in the games have been pretty good, so we're still in good spirits going into next week."

United are also back amongst Europes elite for the first time in three years. They will find out their Champions League fate when the fixture list for the league phase is drawn on August 26.

The club will be in pot two. United will play eight league games, four at home and four away, but will not face another Premier League side.

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