Adidas' Pyramid Of Football Kit Sponsorship - A Teams, B Teams, Standard, Third Party & Not Affiliated
Oct 26, 2020, by Chris
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.
Aston Villa 26-27 Third Kit On Sale Early in Adidas Store
Aston Villa's 26-27 third kit has gone on sale early at an official Adidas store in Tenerife ahead of its official launch.
Photos shared by supporter @squirrelvilla confirmed that the complete strip was available to buy in Playa De Las Americas, giving fans an early look at the new shirt and matching shorts in hand.
The Adidas Aston Villa 26-27 third shirt features a light icy blue base covered in an elaborate, repeating swirl pattern across the front and sleeves. Claret detailing highlights the crew neck collar, sleeve cuffs, and signature Three Stripes, while both the centered Adidas logo and Aston Villa crest sit prominently on the chest. The version bought in store was sold without a main front sponsor.
FC Penafiel 26-27 Home Kit Released
Portuguese Liga 2 club FC Penafiel has officially launched its new home kit for the 26-27 season, produced by Nike. The release heralds a new kit deal for the club, leaning into a classic aesthetic that honors their traditional Rubro-Negro identity.
The Nike FC Penafiel 26-27 home jersey is predominantly red, styled with a contrasting black polo collar and open v-neck cut. Adding to the retro design, the club badge is set within a dark circular crest frame on the left chest, accompanied by a black Nike Swoosh and white Abanca sponsorship branding across the chest.
The FC Penafiel 26-27 home shirt is available now through the club's official webshop, priced at €59.99.
Nigeria Women Update Crest With 10 Stars
At the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), defending champions Nigeria featured a special detail on their shirts: 10 stars added above their crest. The "Super Falcons" had never worn stars on their kits in previous WAFCONs.
The 10 stars represent Nigeria's 10 continental titles, celebrating their history as the most dominant team in African women's football. Big thanks to our Vietnamese partner @jerseystory_vn for the collage image.
Chelsea 26-27 Away Kit Debuted
Chelsea have officially debuted their new 26-27 away kit during their pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia. Made by Nike, the new change strip features a solid black base paired with Midwest Gold trim, marking the club's return to a predominantly black away design.
The shirt features a minimalist standalone gold lion crest on the chest, replacing the full traditional club badge. Gold piping traces the shoulder seams and side panels, while an intricate gold laurel wreath graphic borders the collar and sleeve cuffs to match design elements on Chelsea's 26-27 home kit.