Nike Have Lost Interest in Men's Football
Dec 16, 2023, by Phan Tich Giay
- Nike's Shift in Strategy: Nike has been decreasing its investment in men's football since 2019, focusing more on women's football and other sports.
- Lost Contracts: Nike has lost several major team and player contracts to competitors like Puma and Adidas, including kit deals with teams and the official ball supply for major leagues.
- Retention of Elite Players: While Nike has lost many player contracts, they are still retaining contracts with top, marketable players.
In recent years, and especially in 2023, Nike have abandoned many relationships and contracts, from football kits to boots and balls for major tournaments. It seems that Nike are cleaning up their current contracts or, in the words of @TheBarcaLad21, that Nike are losing interest in football.
Nike Strategy Change Already Announced in 2019 - Focus on Women's Football & Other Sports
The reason why many think that Nike "have lost their interest in football" dates back to 2019. Starting with the 2019 Women's World Cup, Nike announced that they would be giving more attention to women's football and other sports in general.
Nike have lost interest in Men's football, the Women's game has leveled up remarkably
Since the announcement in 2019, development started that did not slow down in any case - more money and attention to Women's football and sports in general, less money and attention to Men's football.
Football Kit Suppliers
Recently, various football teams and national teams have confirmed that they are ending their relationship with Nike, including Galatasaray, RB Leipzig, New Zealand and, soon, Portugal.
Previously, Nike did also not renew shirt supply contracts with two major Premier League teams, Manchester City and Manchester United. As a result, Manchester City became Puma's elite team and Manchester United became Adidas' elite team. Currently, the Manchester United x Adidas kit deal is also the most valuable in the world.
Football Boots
The development is even cleaner when it comes to player contracts. Since 2020, Nike have lost more than 50 of their most important players. In 2023 alone, Nike have not extended deals with more than 10 players, most of them to Adidas or Puma.
However, Nike still have contracts with top players such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jamal Musiala, and Vinicius Jr. Both Haaland and Vinicius Jr were just recently renewed - Nike want to keep the best and most marketable players, but many players below them have to look for new suppliers to get "big money".
Major Tournaments Ball
In 2023, Nike lost the contract to supply balls for all Conmebol competitions (including the Copa America and Copa Libertadores). From the 2025-26 season, they will no longer supply the English Premier League, getting replaced by Puma - this means that Nike have no big league deal soon.
Nike used to supply the balls for La Liga, Serie A, and Premier League. All these contracts were taken over by Puma - This makes Puma to the world's leading official ball maker next to Adidas.
Have Nike lost interest in (Men's) football? Do you think Nike will have even fewer top teams and players in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Monopoli 26-27 Centenary Kit Released
Italian Serie C club SS Monopoli 1966 and kit supplier Joma have officially unveiled a special centenary kit celebrating 100 years since the arrival of football in the city (1926-2026). Branded as the 'Special Kit 100 Audace', the shirt pays homage to the historic Audace Monopoli team and the roots of the local game.
Stepping away from the club's traditional green and white palette, the Joma Monopoli 2026-27 centenary jersey adopts a classic black-and-white striped design. The kit features a retro-inspired collar construction, a golden Joma logo on the chest, and an archival Monopoli crest. Subtle tonal jacquard graphics are woven directly into the fabric.
Completed with matching black shorts and socks, the commemorative Monopoli 26-27 centenary kit is available via the club's official webshop and local retail locations.
São Paulo Feminino 26-27 Third Kit Released - First-Ever Exclusive Women's Kit
São Paulo FC and New Balance have officially unveiled the new third kit for the club's women's team. Marking a historic milestone for the Tricolor Paulista, this release represents the first time the Brazilian club has designed a third shirt exclusively for São Paulo Feminino.
The New Balance São Paulo 26-27 women's third jersey arrives in an elegant lilac base inspired by the lotus flower, symbolizing strength, resilience, and the power to flourish in adverse conditions. The lower portion of the shirt is adorned with a delicate watermark pattern of blooming lotus petals that fades subtly into the fabric. In addition, the kit features a commemorative lotus icon on the upper back and the embroidered phrase "Somos Lótus, Somos Luta" on the shoulder.
Contrasting deep purple details highlight the V-neck collar, sleeve trims, and sponsor branding, while the club crest and New Balance logo are applied with a 3D TPU glazed finish. Built with moisture-wicking NB Dry fabric made from 100% recycled polyester, the kit is completed by dark purple shorts and socks.
Al-Jabalain 26-27 Home & Third Kits Released
Saudi Arabian side Al-Jabalain have unveiled their new home and third kits, made by Skillano and to be worn in the upcoming 26-27 Saudi First Division season.
The new designs bring interesting approaches to the traditional colorway: The home kit features a brown and white striped base with a diagonal graphic on the lower hips, while the third kit uses a complicated subtle pattern on a clean white look.
What do you think of the Skillano Al-Jabalain 26-27 home and third kits? Let us know in the comments below.
Special Detail on the FA Community Shield Sleeve Patch
The sleeve patch worn during recent 2026 FA Community Shield match featured a unique, customized touch: the ribbon running across the shield was split into red and sky blue, representing the primary colors of Arsenal and Manchester City.
This bespoke ribbon colorway tradition first debuted at the 2015 FA Community Shield in the clash between Arsenal and Chelsea.
The only exceptions to this colored-ribbon tradition occurred in 2020 (Arsenal vs. Liverpool) and 2025 (Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool), where the ribbons on the patch were rendered in neutral white. This adjustment is believed to be the FA's standard protocol to maintain visual balance when both competing clubs share the same primary kit color (red).
Another unique scenario took place in 2021. Even though Manchester City wore their away kit against Leicester City, the patch still featured both clubs' traditional home colors. This was possible because City’s sky blue and Leicester’s royal blue possess distinguishable shades.
Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for spotting this detail and creating the collage.
Gianluigi Donnarumma Prefers Replica Kits
During the 2026 FA Community Shield, Gianluigi Donnarumma was once again spotted wearing a replica jersey on the pitch rather than an authentic player-issue shirt. Details such as the embroidered crest and the standard dryCELL branding confirmed his kit choice.
This marks the second consecutive season since joining Manchester City that the Italian goalkeeper has opted for the replica version. The reason stems from Puma's player-issue shirts featuring a tighter, more athletic cut, whereas Donnarumma prefers a looser, roomier fit for maximum comfort and freedom of movement.
Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for spotting this detail and creating the comparison graphic.
Rodri to Wear Number 16 at FC Barcelona
Incoming FC Barcelona signing Rodri is set to wear his trademark number 16 jersey following his big-money switch from Manchester City. The Spanish international midfielder has built an iconic association with the number throughout his career at club level with Manchester City and on the international stage with Spain.
The number 16 shirt had previously belonged to young midfielder Fermín López. Following direct conversations between the players, Fermín has agreed to vacate the number and switch to the number 7 shirt, allowing Rodri to take his favored jersey ahead of the 26-27 season.
