Nike Has Lost More Than 40 Important Players In Past 6 Months - Updated
Update: We have been sent a list featuring not less than 42 players that Nike has lost recently by our follower @m.eisenrigler. It becomes obvious that Nike is calculated by Nike not to extend the contracts with many players. It will be interesting to see if it continues in 2021.
Full List: Players Lost By Nike In Past Few Months
Premier League
Manchester United
- Anthony Martial
- Alex Telles
Manchester City
- Raheem Sterling
- Phil Foden
- Kyle Walker
- Fernandinho
- Ederson
- Riyad Mahrez?
Liverpool
- Gomez
- Thiago
- Elliot
Everton
- Calvert-Lewin
Arsenal
- Saka
- Smith-Rowe
- Willian
- Lacazette
Tottenham
- Vinicius
Chelsea
- James
Aston Villa
- Barkley
Crystal Palace
- Eze
Wolves
- Adama Traoré
La Liga
Barcelona
- Mingueza
Real Madrid
- Asensio
- Varane
- Ramos
Betis
- Lainez
Celta Vigo
- Iago Aspas
Serie A
Juventus
- Arthur
- Alex Sandro
Inter
- Brozovic
Milan
- Ibrahimovic
Ligue 1
PSG
- Neymar
Lille
- Weah
Bundesliga
Bayern
- Lewandowski
- Coman
- Nianzou
Leipzig
- Mukiele
- Adams
Bayer 04
- Schick
- Diaby
- Tapsoba
Others
- David Neres
As an avid follower of football, our website and possibly also our boot stats site Football Boots DB, you surely know that Nike has been the leading football boots brand since several years. However, now Nike seems to change its strategy - the Swoosh apparently lost various of its best players, and that just in the past six months.
Adidas, Nike and Puma supply the boots for around 97% of footballers
In 2020-2021, the situation on the boot market is as follows - Nike is sponsoring more than half of all players of Europe's biggest leagues with around 53%, Adidas comes second with around 37%, Puma comes third with 7%. All other brands except the big three account for just 3%.
Players Who Left / Could Leave Nike
Players who have apparently / officially left Nike does not only include a handful of medium-attractive athletes (in terms of marketability) but superstars like Neymar, Lewandowski, Thiago Alcantara and Sergio Ramos.
We have counted more than 20 popular players who have / are set / were rumored to leave Nike just in the past 6 months.
Nike has changed its strategy
It is pretty certain that Nike did not get short of money unexpectedly to pay those athletes but that the reason is that the Swoosh has changed its strategy. It seems like Nike do not want to sponsor athletes whatever it costs bit let run out deals they think that are too expensive.
In fact, with that large amount of players leaving Nike currently, we think that it is possible that Nike comes together with players to let some contracts end ahead of schedule. We also think that it is sure that Nike does not want to pay many of their players as much as before - see Ribery, Ibrahimovic or Raheem Sterling as examples.
Two brands are snapping the players Nike is losing - Adidas and Puma. In fact, Puma's CEO said that their new strategy is to sign more superstars to make the brand more attractive.
Of course, with thousands of footballers playing the Top 5 leagues (around 3,000), Nike is still sponsoring more than half of all players of them.
All Important Players Who Could Leave Nike
Kingsley Coman: Nike ➡️ Puma
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Nike ➡️ Unsponsored (Nike, Puma, Diadora)
Willian: Nike ➡️ Puma
Riyad Mahrez: Nike??
Sergio Ramos: Nike ➡️ Adidas?
Thiago Alcantara: Nike ➡️ Adidas
Iago Aspas: Nike ➡️ Adidas?
Arthur Melo: Nike ➡️ Adidas
Marco Asensio: Nike ➡️ Adidas
Robert Lewandowski: Nike ➡️ Puma
Adama Traoré: Nike ➡️ Unsponsored
Phil Foden: Nike ➡️ ???
Raheem Sterling: Nike ➡️ New Balance / Puma ???
Franck Ribery: Nike ➡️ Unsponsored
Kyle Walker: Nike ➡️ Puma
Anthony Martial: Nike ➡️ Puma?
Neymar: Nike ➡️ Puma
Axel Telles: Nike ➡️ Adidas
Raphael Varane: Nike ➡️ Puma???
What do you think of Nike cutting costs by not extending the deals with dozens of players? Comment below.
No More Adidas: Macron Aberdeen 26-27 Third Kit Released
Aberdeen FC and Macron have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 season. Completing the Dons' wardrobe for the campaign alongside the red home and white away strips, the design takes direct inspiration from Aberdeenshire's iconic Craigievar Castle as the world-famous pink fortress marks its 400th anniversary.
The Aberdeen 26-27 third jersey features a light pink base that recalls the castle's distinctive pink-harled walls. It is enriched by an all-over geometric pattern woven directly into the fabric using Macron's Eco 3D Knit jacquard structure. Anthracite grey covers the raglan sleeves, side panels, cuffs, and ribbed V-neck collar, highlighted with refined silver piping, while the club crest and Macron Hero are both presented in monochrome anthracite on the chest.
Bespoke details include a stylized graphic of Craigievar Castle printed inside the back of the neck, as well as the city's historic "Bon Accord" motto running along the inner silicone hem tape. Pink shorts with anthracite inserts and pink socks finish off the full uniform, which is manufactured entirely from 100% recycled polyester.
All-New Inter Milan 26-27 Champions League Kit Font Released
Inter Milan will have a dedicated name and number font for their new 2026-27 third kit in the UEFA Champions League, something rarely seen from the Nerazzurri in recent years as they have typically used the standard Serie A typography in Europe.
For Serie A, Inter use the standard league typography in Speed Yellow. In the Champions League, however, the Nerazzurri switch to a bespoke 1990s-inspired font with taller, sharper-edged lettering and numbers featuring a thin blue outline, matching the kit's grey.
Interestingly, Inter's 2026-27 home shirt uses the standard Serie A font and was worn in their first Champions League match against Real Madrid. The third kit, meanwhile, features a dedicated Champions League typeface.
Fans can choose between the Serie A and Champions League fonts when customizing the Inter Milan 2026-27 third kit on the club's official web store. This dual-font approach gives the European version a distinct retro feel.
Big thanks to What The Kit for the mockup!
Retro 1980s Aesthetic: Newcastle United 26-27 Originals Retro Collection Released
Adidas and Newcastle United have officially released their latest retro lifestyle capsule, dubbed the adidas Originals Culturewear collection. Taking heavy inspiration from the club's classic 1980s training wear, the collection was first showcased on first-team players arriving ahead of Premier League action before rolling out for Mags+ members and hitting general sale.
The range adopts a clean color palette of dark navy, white, and subtle light blue accents. A defining highlight across every piece is the use of Newcastle United's iconic circular 1980s crest—originally seen between 1983 and 1988—paired alongside the classic embroidered adidas Trefoil emblem. The capsule features a standout long-sleeve white jersey boasting a tonal jacquard pattern, a color-blocked zip-up track top, a matching navy hoodie, a chest-band graphic t-shirt, and straight-leg track pants. The lineup is completed by a matching pair of adidas Handball Spezial sneakers crafted in light blue suede with a gum sole.
Arnaut Danjuma Still Wearing Adidas F50 Adizero IV 'Battle' Remake Boots
Dutch attacker Arnaut Danjuma is proving that great boots never go out of style, as he continues to lace up in the reissued Adidas F50 Adizero IV from the 2014 World Cup Battle Pack. While most professional players frequently rotate into the newest generation speed models, Danjuma has maintained an impressive loyalty to the limited-edition retro release years after its drop.
The boot in question is the 2022 Speed Legacy Pack remake of the legendary F50 Adizero IV, which originally dominated the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on the feet of top scorers like James Rodríguez, Robin van Persie, and Thomas Müller. The reissue faithfully revived the distinctive black-and-white geometric upper pattern with metallic gold three stripes, while modernizing the underfoot tech with the lightweight Carbitex Speedframe tooling borrowed from the X Speedflow.
Rosario Central 26-27 Third Kit Released
Rosario Central and Le Coq Sportif have officially launched the club's new third kit for the 26-27 campaign. Named "La Calesita," the jersey completes a special collection celebrating the centenary of the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, paying tribute to the ground's architecture and the vibrant atmosphere created by the club's supporters.
The Le Coq Sportif Rosario Central 26-27 third shirt moves away from traditional blue and yellow stripes in favor of a deep dark petrol base, accented by bright yellow paneling along the shoulders and sleeves. Running vertically down the front is a perspective graphic inspired by stadium seating, creating an expanding vanishing point that evokes the scale of the Gigante de Arroyito and the sweeping movement of the famous "calesita" banners hung by the fans.
Crafted from Jacquard polyester fabric, the jersey is finished with a two-tone V-neck collar, high-definition embroidered club crests, and a specialized authenticity seal that reveals UV-reactive Le Coq Sportif details. Dark petrol shorts and vibrant yellow socks complete the new Rosario Central 26-27 third kit.
Reggina 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Italian club AS Reggina 1914 and technical partner Givova have officially unveiled the club's new home, away, and goalkeeper kits for the 26-27 season. Drawing profound inspiration from the historical landmarks and archaeological heritage of Reggio Calabria, each shirt tells a distinct story rooted in local identity.
The Reggina 26-27 home kit arrives in the club's traditional amaranto shade, decorated with an intricate geometric graphic on the front panel inspired by the ancient Roman Baths of Reggio Calabria. Givova's white logos sit on the chest and sleeves, matching the kit's clean numbering and completing an all-amaranto look with coordinating shorts and socks.
For the away strip, Givova delivers a predominantly white design accented by an amaranto collar, side panels, and sleeve trim. The front of the shirt features subtle vertical band patterns drawn from the ornate mosaics at the Roman Villa of Casignana, accompanied by a retro 1990s-style club badge. Completing the set, the goalkeeper kit stands out in vibrant green, adorned with claret details and a striking circular motif portraying Calabria's traditional apotropaic masks.

























