Manchester City & PUMA have announced an ‘AI first’ with the reveal of the club’s 2026/27 third kit.
It marks the first time in professional football that a fan has designed a kit using AI tools.
PUMA AI Creator is a custom generative AI tool that turns written prompts into kit designs within seconds – with no design experience required.
Fans from over 200 countries brought forward their vision for what the third kit should look like, resulting in over 180,000 unique shirts.
Following 1.7 million platform ratings, the most popular kits were shortlisted to the final 10, which went to fan vote in January 2025. With votes having been submitted by the club’s global fanbase, the winner was crowned: a white base split by a central two-tone sash, half sky blue, half navy, running the length of the shirt with a subtle gradient effect that shifts as it catches the light.
Behind the winning kit was lifelong City fan Elliott. “City has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so to have designed a kit that will now be worn by the players is a genuine honour,” he said.
“I’ve always loved football shirts and design, and I created mine using PUMA AI Creator on my lunch break, never imagining it could actually become a City kit.
“The whole experience has been incredible, from seeing people react to the design, to seeing it on the players for the first time when I was invited to the kit shoot. It still feels surreal to know I’ve played a small part in the club’s history, and I hope it becomes a kit that City fans love and look back on for years to come.”
Dominique Gathier, vice president teamsport, PUMA, said: “PUMA AI Creator represents a genuinely new way of thinking about how football kits are made and who gets to shape them. The volume of entries we received speaks to the strength of the Manchester City fanbase, and the design that came through reflects that.
“This is a project that sits at the intersection of technology, football, and community and we are proud to have been able to bring it to life.”