As part of the continued celebration of Major League Soccer's 25th season, the winners of Saturday's MLS Cup between the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders won't just be getting their hands on the historic Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. They'll also become the first club to be honored by a new system designed to further elevate the reigning champions.
New sleeve patch for the Champion
From next season, the defending MLS Cup champion will now don a commemorative silver MLS crest on their jersey sleeve to celebrate and distinguish their achievements in the year following their win.
And there's good news for celebrating supporters of the winning team on Saturday. Fans will be able to purchase their club jersey with the celebratory silver MLS crest on the sleeve soon after the final whistle of MLS Cup on MLSstore.com. Fans who previously purchased a 2020 MLS club jersey may also have the celebratory patch applied locally and are encouraged to contact the club to learn market-specific details.
Star system
The defending MLS Cup champion will also receive a silver star above their club crest to signify their championship win. Moving forward, only teams who have won their fifth MLS Cup will receive a gold star above their crest, highlighting the league’s most storied champions.
The LA Galaxy are currently the only team who will earn that reward as five-time MLS Cup champions, with both Columbus (one MLS Cup win) and Seattle (two MLS Cup wins) still having some way to go, regardless of the result Saturday.
