Adidas' Pyramid Of Football Kit Sponsorship - A Teams, B Teams, Standard, Third Party & Not Affiliated
In September 2020, we gave you an overview of the different level of Nike's football team sponsorship deals. It was quite well received by you, our readers. So we decided to also take a look at the Adidas "Pyramid Of Football Kit Sponsorship", revealing that there are some differences to Nike, and those differences are not only the sponsored teams.
Adidas Levels Of Football Sponsorship
Similar to Nike, Adidas has four levels of football team partnerships - A Teams, B Teams, Standard & Third-Party. Interestingly, Adidas' second-tier clubs are internally called 'B Teams', while there is no "official" name for top teams - we call them 'A teams / Premium Teams' here.
Adidas just has five 'Elite Clubs'
As it is the case with Nike and all other brands, there is also a fifth level, of which Adidas is not responsible - clubs that buy their shirts themselves.
the transition between the different levels is quite fluid for Adidas
It is important to note that the transition between the different levels is quite fluid (for all except the first tier) - for our listing, we used information from Adidas' catalogs, the brand's stores, press releases as well as some internal info.
Adidas' Pyramid Of Teams - A Teams, B Teams, Standard & Third-Party
A Teams - 5 Clubs
Adidas A Teams are on the brand's highest level. Adidas just has five 'A Clubs' - Arsenal, Bayern, Juventus, Man Utd, and Real Madrid.
Flamengo is not A Team in 2020 - they did not get a special Humanrace jersey, and they are also called 'B Team' in Adidas' catalog.
Adidas A Teams:
Arsenal, Bayern, Juventus, Man Utd, and Real Madrid
B Teams - Around 10 Clubs - (e.g. Flamengo, Ajax, Bordeaux):
B Teams are on the second level of Adidas' pyramid. B Teams get custom kit designs as well as a range of other bespoke products that are also available in various countries and many of the brand's official stores.
Leicester City could soon be an Adidas B Team
Leicester City is on the verge of becoming an Adidas B Team, Union Berlin as well.
Adidas B Teams (Examples): Ajax,Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Flamengo, Hamburg, Lyon, Orlando Pirates, River Plate
Standard Teams - Dozens Of Clubs - (e.g. Wolves, Cardiff City, Melbourne Victory)
Standard teams have a direct contract with Adidas but are not in the official catalogs of the brand. Their kits are also only sold domestically most times.
Adidas Standard Teams (Examples): Cardiff City, Fulham, Melbourne Victory, Sheffield United, Wolves
Third Party - Many, Many Clubs:
Third Party teams have no direct contract with Adidas but with a third-party, who manage contracts for Adidas in those countries.
Adidas manages most of their deals directly
In contrast to Nike, Adidas used to prefer to sign and manage all their deals directly. Therefore, the Three Stripes do not have many big third-party deals. This just changed recently with their latest German kit deals, which will be not managed by Adidas directly.
Adidas Third Party Teams (Examples): Nürnberg, Düsseldorf, Unterhaching, small lower-division clubs & hundreds of semi-professional / amateur teams
Non-Affiliated Adidas Teams - Thousands of Clubs:
Teams who buy their shirt themselves and choose - possibly more than hundred thousand worldwide.
MLS Teams
Major League Soccer teams are a special category for Adidas. They all get a custom kit, while those teams with more fans get some more gear. The shirts of the most popular MLS teams are sold globally (e.g. LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC).
National Teams
Adidas does also have Premium and Standard national teams - the exact border between them is not easy to define...
Elite National Teams (Examples): Germany, Spain, Argentina
Standard National Teams (Examples): Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Colombia
What do you think of Adidas' line-up of football teams? Should they make more clubs 'Elite Teams', similar to Adidas? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Portugal Players to Wear Special Diogo Jota Tribute Bracelets at 2026 World Cup
The Portugal national team will wear special tribute bracelets throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup in memory of Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away last summer. The initiative comes from Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who personally gifted the custom accessories to the players and staff ahead of the tournament.
Each custom bracelet features the individual player's name alongside Diogo Jota's name, serving as a constant reminder of their late teammate. The squad is set to keep the bracelets on during all of their matches in the World Cup, honoring Jota's legacy on the biggest stage in international football.
Manchester United 26-27 Third Kit Leaked - 7 New Pictures
Footy Headlines can now leak 7 new pictures of the Manchester United 26-27 third kit. Although it is a fake, the design is identical to the real one.
The Manchester United 26-27 third kit is inspired by the Lancashire rose and pays homage to the Salford Lads Club, incorporating design elements from the club's entrance signage.
The kit is mainly off-white with dark green and maroon accents, featuring a Lancashire rose pattern on the shirt and shorts, and a bespoke sign-off badge on the back collar with 'Manchester United Football Club' text.
EXCLUSIVE: Adidas To Release 'Chaos vs Control' Boots Pack - 2026 World Cup Finals?
Adidas will release a new 'Chaos vs Control' soccer cleat pack on July 8. The Adidas Chaos vs Control pack might serve as a special 2026 World Cup boots pack, with a timing that would be perfectly placed to capitalize on the tournament's peak stages as the knockout rounds get underway.
We have no further details about the Adidas Chaos vs Control pack yet, but the name suggests a striking two-sided design concept, representing the two opposing boots - Predator & F50 Hyperfast.
The Adidas Chaos vs Control pack will be available from Wednesday, July 8.
What are you expecting from the new Adidas cleat pack? Let us know in the comments below.
