No More Nike After 23 Years - La Liga Announce Puma Ball Deal
La Liga today confirmed the long-term partnership with German sportswear brand Puma that was reported last month. Puma replaces current La Liga ball supplier Nike, who had been making La Liga's Official Match Ball since 1996-97.
Puma sponsors some of the best players in the league - Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Samuel Umtiti and Santi Cazorla, while the brand will have two more clubs in the market from 2019-2020: Girona FC and Valencia CF.
Puma Becomes La Liga Ball Supplier From 2019-20 Season
Puma becomes the league’s official technical partner from the 2019-20 season, producing the official match ball and various other products for games in La Liga, as well as the second tier; LaLiga 1|2|3 matches (Segunda División). The deal will last until the end of the 2021-22 season. Puma is reported to be paying €5 million (US$5.6 million - €1.7 million / season) to take over from current suppliers, Nike.
Nike has been the technical partner of the Spanish soccer league since the 1996-97 season but apparently president Javier Tebas was unhappy that the balls being produced by the US giant were too similar to those of rival European Leagues.
La Liga’s marketing and commercial director Juan Carlos Díaz, said: “It is an honour for an historical sports brand like Puma to want to associate with the best league in the world, “We are convinced that this agreement will be very fruitful for both companies and will allow us to continue facing our future challenges.”
“We are extremely proud to have partnered with one of the best, if not the best, football leagues in the world,” added Johan Adamsson, Puma’s director of sports marketing. “La Liga has some of the best teams and players in the world and this partnership is another step in our efforts to achieve an even stronger global reach for our brand.”
Share our thoughts in the comments below.
A Look Back at World Cup Shirt Number Typography
Football kit design account @PaladarNegroWeb has shared an interesting retrospective on the typography used for shirt numbers in recent World Cups. The visual language of football kits is often defined by these details, with fonts becoming instantly recognizable symbols of specific tournaments and eras.
The collage highlights various iconic typefaces worn by national teams on the biggest stage. spanning from the 2006 World Cup to the FIFA World Cup.
This overview is part of an ongoing series by the account exploring the visual elements of football. It serves as a great reminder of how deeply typography impacts the overall aesthetic and legacy of a football shirt.
Morecambe 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Morecambe FC have officially launched their new 26-27 home and away kits, produced by Surridge Sports. The club received massive backlash for posting AI images for the launch, and later posted a clearer CAD of the home shirt.
The home shirt features the club's traditional red color palette with black detailing, while the away kit introduces a bold combination of purple and yellow. Both designs incorporate modern elements to provide a fresh look for the upcoming National League North campaign.
The new Surridge Sports Morecambe 2026-27 jerseys are currently available for pre-order through the club's official online store.
Puma Kits Keep Ripping at the 2026 World Cup
Puma is facing significant criticism at the 2026 World Cup as multiple national team jerseys have easily ripped during matches.
Incidents involving players from Czechia, Morocco, Egypt, and Paraguay have highlighted an ongoing durability issue with the brand's latest kits - every torn shirt in the tournament so far belongs to a Puma-sponsored team.
The Puma 2026 World Cup kits incorporate the latest version of PUMA's ULTRAWEAVE “Thermoadapt” technology, which obviously is not tear-resistant enough.
The recurring wardrobe malfunctions have resulted in terrible PR for the German sportswear manufacturer and even prompted the viral resurgence of Xherdan Shaqiri's infamous quote from Euro 2016, where he joked that he hopes Puma does not produce condoms.