Good things apparently come to those who wait because, three weeks into the A-League season, Sydney FC has only gone and dropped arguably the competition's best kit: a striking black jersey covered in a purple floral pattern inspired by the city's iconic Jacaranda flowers.
As it's 2025, the kit has arrived with a convoluted and highly workshopped explanation of its origins. This new offering is apparently inspired by "Sydney's botanicals and pays homage to the city's iconic Royal Botanic Garden and the famous Jacaranda trees that burst into bloom each year, transforming Sydney into a sea of purple."
Funnily enough, though, despite both descriptions pointing to the local flavour behind them, the Sky Blues are the second A-League club to release a Jacaranda inspired kit for the 2025-26 season. Adelaide United's away kit is "inspired by the city's iconic summer sunsets over the coast, and the vibrant jacaranda blooms that colour our streets each spring."
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But whereas Adelaide's offering is of the more subtle variety, a base lilac with raised detailing and black accents on the collar and sleeve, Sydney has gone all out on their version: whacking an actual Jacaranda-floral print in varying shades across a black shirt that creates one of the most striking and instantly recognisable offerings in A-League history.
"The print itself is a celebration of New South Wales flora, blending Jacarandas with native Grevillea, Wattle, and Bottlebrush motifs," said Josh Richardson, senior design director at Under Armour's global headquarters.
"Each element was first hand-painted before being digitally scanned and incorporated into the fabric - turning the kit into a wearable piece of art."
Had the kit been released before the season's commencement, it, without question, would have topped ESPN's rankings of the best kits this season, and it's almost accomplished the impossible in being universally praised by the normally cantankerous world of Australia's "Sokkah Twitter" community.
The kit will make its debut this Sunday when Sydney's men host local rivals Macarthur FC at Leichardt Oval, while the women's side will don it for the first time the following Saturday when they host Perth Glory -- the lone side in the A-League who have purple as part of their regular color palette -- at Leichardt.