Nike Has Stopped Its Divestment in Football
Apr 21, 2025, by Chris
- Shift in Strategy: Initially perceived as strategically retreating from football in late 2023 by losing key contracts, Nike has demonstrated a renewed focus on the sport.
- Major Renewals: Between late 2024 and early 2025, Nike secured numerous long-term extensions with elite football partners including the French and Brazilian national teams, FC Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, signaling a significant commitment to top-tier football.
- Return to Core Identity: This wave of renewals aligns with Nike's new CEO's strategy to return the brand to its roots as a sports brand, in response to shrinking sales and increased competition.
Remember late 2023? The prevailing narrative surrounding Nike and football was one of strategic retreat. Evidence mounted: high-profile kit deals like Portugal, Galatasaray, and RB Leipzig slipped away to Puma, numerous player sponsorships weren't renewed, and crucially, Nike lost prestigious ball contracts for CONMEBOL competitions and the Premier League (from 2025-26).
Footy Headlines extensively covered this trend, noting Nike's stated shift towards women's football and other sports since 2019. It genuinely appeared that Nike was trimming its men's football portfolio, letting many partnerships lapse. Many wondered if Nike was losing its appetite for the beautiful game's top table.
Nike Roars Back: Wave of Elite Contract Extensions Signals Renewed Football Focus After 'Deinvestment' Fears
However, the landscape in 2025 tells a decidedly different story. While the observations in 2023 were accurate regarding the contracts lost, a subsequent wave of major, long-term renewals with some of football's biggest names suggests Nike's commitment to the elite level is back again.
The Evidence: Locking Down the Giants
Consider this flurry of significant extensions secured by Nike, largely announced between late 2024 and early 2025:
- France (FFF): Extended their partnership until 2034 (Announced Apr 30, 2024). A major statement, especially given strong rumoured interest from competitors. This deal covers all French national teams.
- Brazil (CBF): A massive extension locking Brazil into Nike kits until 2038 (Announced Dec 7, 2024). This adds 12 years to the previous deal and reportedly includes improved terms for the federation.
- FC Barcelona: Secured a long-term renewal reportedly running until 2038 (Announced Nov 9, 2024). This reaffirms one of the most iconic club partnerships in football, potentially worth astronomical figures.
- Netherlands (KNVB): Quietly extended their long-standing deal until 2030 (Confirmed Nov 19, 2024), ensuring the Oranje remain with the Swoosh past the 30-year partnership mark.
- Atletico Madrid: Renewed their kit deal until 2035 (Confirmed Apr 10, 2025), securing another key La Liga powerhouse for the long haul.
- Paris Saint-Germain: The lucrative partnership with Jordan Brand was extended until at least 2027 (Confirmed Apr 17, 2025), and the main Nike kit deal is also reportedly set to be extended long-term, potentially until 2038, cementing the relationship across both brands.
Analysis: Back to Sport
What does this pattern tell us?
- Focus on the Elite: Nike is again willing to invest heavily in its absolute top-tier, globally marketable partners (superstar nations and mega-clubs).
- Long-Term Stability: These aren't short-term fixes; they are decade-plus commitments, signalling Nike's intention to remain central to football's biggest stages.
- Competitive Response: Facing pressure from Adidas and a resurgent Puma, Nike has acted decisively to prevent its most valuable assets from switching suppliers.
Nike's new CEO wants the brand return to its roots as a sports brand
So, was the "deinvestment" narrative wrong? No. But since late 2023, a lot of things have happened. Most importantly, Nike sales were shrinking, and the brand's new CEO Elliott Hill, announced that Nike would return to its roots as a sports brand. The extensions of many of Nike's most important football deals are a clear signal of the strategy.
It will be interesting to see if Nike will also secure new teams, especially since Adidas currently clearly leads in the football market. What seems sure is that the "retreat" seems to have been over; strategic, focused investment is the new reality.
What do you think? Does this wave of renewals confirm Nike is fully committed to elite football? Or is it just locking down the essentials? Let us know in the comments below.
Adidas Flamengo 26-27 EQT Collection Released
Adidas and Flamengo have officially launched the club's new Equipment (EQT) retro collection, making the Rubro-Negro the first Brazilian club to receive the iconic line. Inspired by the brand's seminal 1991 and 1992 aesthetics, the 1990s-themed capsule ditches the modern CRF monogram in favor of Flamengo's historic rowing crest with crossed oars and an anchor, placed alongside the classic Adidas Trefoil text logo. The lifestyle collection features five pieces including a color-blocked windbreaker jacket, crewneck sweatshirt, track pants, and graphic t-shirts in the club's signature red, black, and white color scheme.
Go Ahead Eagles 26-27 Third Kit Released
Dutch Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles and technical sponsor Stanno have officially unveiled their new third kit for the 2026-27 season. Named "Our Holy Waters," the design serves as a thematic companion to this season's "Our Holy Ground" home and away jerseys, shifting the focus to the club's deep connection with the IJssel river.
The Stanno Go Ahead Eagles 26-27 third shirt is built around an off-white base with fine vertical pinstripes running down the front. The centerpiece of the design is a detailed historic cog ship illustration across the torso, celebrating the Hanseatic maritime history of Deventer. Rich forest green decorates the folded collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by gold trim and "GAE" lettering embroidered on the collar insert. Sponsor logos and branding appear in a metallic copper-bronze shade, alongside a recolored green and gold club crest.
Matching off-white shorts with green side piping and socks featuring the club's eagle crest complete the full kit. The Go Ahead Eagles 2026-27 third kit is available to purchase immediately through the club's official online store.
EFL Trophy Set to Become 'Jersey Mike's Trophy'
The EFL Trophy is set for another commercial rebrand, with American fast-food chain Jersey Mike's Subs closing in on a record-breaking title sponsorship agreement. The English Football League is finalizing a five-year contract worth approximately £5 million to officially rename the competition the Jersey Mike's Trophy.
The landmark partnership represents the most lucrative commercial deal in the history of the tournament. Participating clubs from League One and League Two, alongside invited Category One academy sides, will benefit from boosted prize money, starting with an initial pool of around £900,000 this season. The agreement directly supports Jersey Mike's major expansion into the UK and Ireland, where the US brand plans to roll out up to 400 store locations.
This move adds yet another chapter to the competition's long lineage of commercial title sponsors. Most recently titled the Vertu Motors Trophy, the tournament has previously operated under numerous memorable names, including the Papa Johns Trophy, Checkatrade Trophy, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and the nostalgic LDV Vans Trophy.
No More Predator? Pedri Spotted in Next-Gen Adidas adiPURE Whiteout Prototype Boots
FC Barcelona and Spain midfield maestro Pedri has been spotted testing a whiteout prototype of the all-new Adidas adiPURE boots. Following Bayern Munich center-back Jonathan Tah, who stepped out in test pairs earlier this month, Pedri is now the most high-profile Adidas athlete seen taking the unreleased silhouette out onto the pitch.
The sighting comes as Adidas prepares to bring back the revered adiPURE silo for 2027, officially phasing out the Copa series to establish adiPURE as the brand's primary touch-and-leather boot alongside the Predator and F50. The next-generation adiPURE is engineered to combine classic heritage with modern speed, incorporating a plush Pureleather forefoot, a lightweight technical mesh quarter, a free-floating tongue, and a redesigned Adiframe soleplate.
While Pedri has been one of the central figures representing the Predator line, even rocking his personalized "Predri" signature branding, he has occasionally flirted with Copa models during training in previous seasons. Testing the whiteout prototype strongly indicates that Adidas might be positioning the Spanish technician as the premier ambassador to spearhead the revived adiPURE range ahead of its official debut in early 2027.
Steven Bergwijn Wears Unreleased Nike Kobe Mercurial Boots
The Nike Mercurial Mamba soccer cleats are set to be launched on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Concept: What If World Cup Winners Wore Special Badges on Club Kits?
A creative concept visualized by Bleacher Report has sparked discussion among kit enthusiasts, posing an intriguing question: what if players who have won the FIFA World Cup were allowed to wear a special champion badge on their club kits? Under current FIFA equipment regulations, only reigning national team champions and Club World Cup winners are permitted to sport the official FIFA Champions Badge, but bringing an individual achievement patch to the club stage introduces a bold twist to modern shirt details.
The mockups feature World Cup winners wearing a sleek, gold trophy silhouette on their kit sleeves stamped with the year of their international triumph. The concept envisions players like Lionel Messi donning a 2022 patch on his Inter Miami shirt, Kylian Mbappé carrying a 2018 badge in Real Madrid white, and Rodri sporting a 2026 mark. It serves as an immediate visual marker of football's ultimate honor, staying with the player regardless of their club transfers.
In reality, domestic leagues and confederations enforce strict uniform guidelines that limit sleeve real estate almost entirely to league badges, sleeve sponsors, and charitable campaign logos. While regulatory hurdles make such a badge virtually impossible in professional football, the visualization offers a clean and compelling look at how personal legacy could be integrated into club kits.