Adidas Smashes Nike in Most Lucrative Teams
- Adidas Dominance: Adidas will sponsor 11 of the top 20 most lucrative football teams from the 2025-2026 season, including a majority of the top 10.
- Nike's Position: Nike sponsors 5 teams from the top 20, four of which are in the top 10, with Barcelona being their main team in the top 5.
- Merchandise Growth: Football merchandising has seen a 26% year-on-year increase, highlighting the commercial strength of top European clubs.
From the 2025-2026 season, Adidas will dominate football kit sponsorship as no brand has for decades.
First and foremost, we want to clarify the data we consider in our process. We rely on the official report titled "The European Club Finance and Investment Landscape" by UEFA, which, among many other things, highlights the top 20 teams based on merchandising revenue. You can find more information in the report here.
The Numbers: Adidas Leads the Pack of 20 Most Lucrative Football Teams
Adidas has 11 teams of the top 20 teams under contract from the 2025-26 season, including six of the top 10 most lucrative partnerships, according to official UEFA data published in April 2024.
Adidas: 11 teams, including four of the top five — Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Nike: Five teams in total, with four in the top 10, including Barcelona as the only non-Adidas club in the top five.
Puma: Four teams, but none in the top 10.
Merchandising saw an incredible 26% year-on-year growth
Adidas has bolstered its portfolio by signing Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, and Liverpool for the 2025-26 season, cementing its place at the top of the kit sponsorship hierarchy.
Kit and Merchandising: A Polarised Market on Incredible Rise
In general, the UEFA data highlights a sharp disparity in kit and merchandising revenues among clubs. The top 20 clubs dominate the space, with significant gaps between the elite and the lower of the Top 20 teams. Despite consistent kit manufacturing revenues, merchandising saw an incredible 26% year-on-year growth, underscoring the commercial kit strength of Europe’s football clubs.
What is also remarkable is that none of the top 20 teams is supplied by a smaller brand - the top 3 have the total dominance.
Are you surprised that Adidas leads so clearly ahead of all others? Let us know in the comments below.
Travis Scott x Nike Total 90 Football Released
As part of the surprise Travis Scott x Nike Total 90 collection drop on June 11, a special edition Total 90 Academy football has been released.
Tied to the Rip The Script campaign ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the ball features a striking design in gold, black, and green, blending the iconic Total 90 aesthetic with Travis Scott's signature branding.
The football, along with the rest of the capsule, was launched without warning and is available exclusively through Nike's and Travis Scott's official website.
Special McKinney Chupacabras 2026 USA Kit Revealed
USL League Two side McKinney Chupacabras FC have officially unveiled a 2026 special kit to celebrtae the United States, manufactured by Puma.
Following a fan vote held in late 2025 to determine the team's custom design, the new special uniform joins the home and away strips that were previously released in December.
Special Tampa Bay Rowdies 2026 'Stars and Hoops' Kit Released
USL Championship club Tampa Bay Rowdies have launched a special-edition "Stars and Hoops" kit by Charly to support the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup and celebrate the 250th anniversary of United States independence
The predominantly white jersey features the club's classic hooped sleeves reimagined in patriotic red, white, and blue, complemented by three white stars on each shoulder. Additional details include a blue collar with thin white and red trim, red sleeve cuffs with white and blue trim, and blue accents on the sides and shoulders.
The traditional Rowdies wordmark logo appears in blue across the chest. The kit is available in limited quantities.
Adidas x The Better Generation Grassroots Predator Sala Boots Released
Adidas has teamed up with The Better Generation and designer Andu.c to launch the Grassroots Predator Sala futsal boots. Created to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this limited collaboration offers a fresh take on the classic indoor silhouette.
The release is strictly limited to 1,248 pairs worldwide. Each pair is individually numbered to represent the total number of players participating in the expanded 2026 tournament.
The Better Generation x Adidas Grassroots Predator Sala boots will be available starting June 20, 2026. They are an exclusive release, available only through The Better Generation's in-store and online channels.
FC Barcelona 26-27 Home Kit Leaked - Official Images
We get an official look at the Nike Barcelona 26-27 home kit in the Women's cut, thanks to @opaleak.
New York City Releases 50 USD Handmade 2026 World Cup Jerseys
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched a limited-run, affordable NYC-inspired jersey to celebrate the 2026 World Cup. Priced at just 50 USD and sold at cost, the initiative provides an accessible alternative to expensive official FIFA merchandise (via GQ).
The jerseys are manufactured locally by Mazzi Sports, a custom sports apparel business operating out of its Brooklyn factory since 1986, and were designed by Brooklyn-based illustrator Arsh Raziuddin.
The local NYC kits feature distinct city motifs, including Big Apple and pigeon graphics, and are available in three colorways: black and white, yellow and black, and blue and orange.
Positioned as community pride gear, this grassroots release directly contrasts with the official FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey host city merchandise (375 USD).
2026 World Cup Teams Use Different Sleeves for New Debutant Patch
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has introduced a special 'Debut Patch' to be worn by players making their first appearance in the tournament, but the placement of this new badge varies between national teams. Mexico has positioned the debutant patch on the left sleeve of their kits, whereas South Africa has opted to place it on the right sleeve. This new addition for the competition allows federations flexibility in integrating the debutant patch alongside other official tournament sleeve badges.