Official Adidas 2026 National Team Ranking Leaked
- Adidas Ranking System: Adidas has internally ranked its sponsored national teams into three tiers: Key Countries, EM Countries, and Other Countries, influencing marketing and investment strategies.
- Key and EM Countries: The 'Key Countries' tier includes seven elite footballing nations, while the 'EM Countries' tier focuses on emerging markets, with recent acquisitions like Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.
- Authentic Kits for All: Adidas will provide authentic, player-issue kits to all sponsored federations for the 2026 World Cup, ensuring teams across all tiers have access to the same advanced technology.
An internal Adidas document has been leaked, revealing the brand's definitive ranking system for its national federations ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Thanks to @MidanAlAtqam.
Adidas "Definitive" 2026 National Team Ranking
The image, titled "ADIDAS FEDERATIONS - WC 2026", sorts all sponsored teams into three distinct tiers: "Key Countries", "EM Countries", and "Other Countries".
Here is a full breakdown of the pyramid:
- Key Countries (Elite Tier)
This is the top tier, equivalent to Adidas's "Elite" clubs (like Real Madrid or Manchester United). These are the brand's main assets, receiving bespoke designs and the full weight of Adidas's marketing.
The 7 Key Countries are: Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Japan
- EM Countries (Emerging Markets)
This second tier is a strategic group focused on "Emerging Markets." This list includes nations from key regions where Adidas is looking to grow its presence.
The 6 EM Countries are: Ukraine, Algeria, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Notably, four of these teams are recent acquisitions for Adidas (Saudi Arabia in 2023, Qatar & Ukraine in 2024, and South Africa in 2026), showing a clear strategy.
- Other Countries
This third tier contains all other federations sponsored by the brand. Despite being in the lowest tier, this group includes many historic footballing nations.
'Other Countries' include: Sweden, Scotland, Colombia, Chile, Hungary, Wales, Greece, Peru, ...and all others.
An interesting note is the placement of Greece. Despite being a new high-profile signing, they are placed in "Other Countries" rather than the "EM" tier.
The Great Equalizer: Authentic Kits For ALL
While this ranking dictates marketing and investment, the most important news for the 2026 World Cup is that this product gap is closing.
As Footy Headlines was first to report, Adidas will be providing authentic, player-issue kits to ALL federations in its portfolio for the 2026 World Cup. This is a major and welcome strategy shift, ensuring that teams in the "Other Countries" tier, like Sweden and Peru, will have the exact same advanced Climacool+ technology as "Key Countries" like Germany and Argentina.
What do you think of Adidas's national team ranking? Is it a fair representation? Let us know in the comments below.
