Official MLS Match Balls (1996 → 2026)

MLS, the premier league in the United States which also includes several teams from Canada, officially began play in 1996.

During that first edition and for the following five years, the league used Mitre Ultimax balls. These were manufactured by the English sportswear brand and featured the colors of the tournament’s logo.

In 2001 and 2002, the Italian brand Kappa arrived on the scene, maintaining the same color schemes. Puma followed for the next three years with their Cellerator models.

adidas broke onto the scene in 2006 when MLS signed an exclusivity contract with the renowned German brand. This deal included not only the match balls but also all official apparel for the participating teams.

In the early years of the partnership, the league featured balls used in other major tournaments but customized for MLS. Consequently, versions from World Cups and European Championships, such as the Teamgeist, Jabulani, and Prime, saw action on the pitch. Additionally, Adidas introduced the first special editions for the finals, a tradition that has not been seen in recent years.

In 2015, coinciding with the league’s visual identity refresh, Adidas launched the “Nativo” ball—a name exclusive to the championship. Across its various versions, the design stood out for incorporating the characteristic stars of the United States and the maple leaves of Canada into its graphics.

In 2020, the league returned to the original MLS colors with the Nativo XXV, while for 2021, the design paid tribute to the franchise host cities and reintroduced details referring to both participating countries.

Since 2022, the official name has changed to MLS Pro.

Special Editions

In its first season as a global sponsor, adidas prepared a variant that maintained the style of the regular-season ball but changed its color to silver for the championship match.

This trend continued until 2012, which marked the last time a silver design was used for the final.