$45 Million Per Year: Nike to Become Champions League Ball Supplier

Update - Apr 12, 2026: The Guardian reports that Nike has won the race to make the official Champions League ball by doubling the money compared to the previous deal - Nike pays an estimated $45 million per year. This lucrative new deal covers the 2027 to 2031 cycle and will also include the official match balls for the Europa League and Conference League.

Update - Apr 9, 2026: A massive change could be coming to European football. UC3, the joint venture managing UEFA's commercial rights, has officially entered exclusive negotiations with Nike to become the official match ball provider for all UEFA men’s club competitions.

The proposed four-year deal would cover the 2027 to 2031 cycle. This decision follows a highly competitive tender process launched in March 2026 by UC3 and its agency, Relevent Football Partners. If finalized, the agreement will see Nike supply the match balls for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League (so one supplier for all competitions).

This would mark a historic shift in the football equipment landscape. Adidas has been the iconic match ball supplier for the UEFA Champions League for decades, and a Nike takeover would end a legendary era for the Three Stripes. No further official comments will be made while the exclusive negotiation period is ongoing.

Would you like to see Nike replace Adidas as the official ball maker for the Champions League? Let us know in the comments.

Mar 14, 2026: Could the iconic star-paneled Champions League football be getting a massive makeover? According to a recent report by The Athletic (via NY Times), UEFA is actively exploring the market for a new official match ball supplier starting from the 2027-28 season.

Champions League to Get New Ball Supplier From 2027-28 Season?

The decision-makers: Relevent Football Partners and UC3 (a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association), are officially launching a tender process for the match ball rights across all of UEFA’s men’s club competitions. The winning brand will secure the rights starting from the 2027-28 season.

The primary motivation behind this move is purely financial. UEFA is seeking to maximize revenue from the match ball sponsorship, taking advantage of the tournament's massive global audience, which reportedly hit 1.18 billion last season.

For the past 25 years, Adidas has been synonymous with the UEFA Champions League. The German sportswear giant has produced the official match ball for Europe’s elite club competition continuously since 2001, when they famously took the rights away from Nike.

However, that quarter-century dominance might be coming to an end.

Sources close to the process have confirmed that while Adidas is highly motivated to retain its historic sponsorship, they are facing serious rival interest from both Nike and Puma.

• Adidas: The current kings of the UCL ball will undoubtedly fight to protect their dominance, especially considering they also supply the match balls for the European Championship and FIFA World Cups.

• Nike: Nike actually sponsored the Champions League ball in the late 1990s before losing the contract to Adidas in 2001. After recently losing the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga ball contracts, Nike might be desperate to reclaim a major foothold in the football market.

• Puma: Puma is the ultimate disruptor right now. Over the past few years, they have aggressively snatched up match ball contracts, including taking the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga deals away from Nike, as well as securing the 2024 Copa America.

As Carlos Laje, Puma’s GM for Latin America, previously stated, "The ball is a way to be in every single game... You can be the centre of attention without the need to go country by country picking up pieces".

Currently, Decathlon provides the balls for the Europa League and Conference League. UEFA is reportedly open to either bundling all three competitions together for one mega-supplier or keeping them separate, depending on which bids generate the most revenue.

Who do you want to see make the Champions League ball from 2027? Should Adidas keep the starball, or is it time for Nike or Puma to take over? Let us know in the comments below.