Adidas Has Completely Changed Its Football Kit Strategy Since 2015

1 hour ago

by Chris

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Adidas Strategy Shift: Adidas has reversed its 2015 strategy of focusing solely on elite clubs, now pursuing a "class plus mass" approach by signing mid-tier clubs and smaller national teams to increase brand visibility.
Kit Deal Expansion: Adidas is expanding its partnerships to include clubs like 1. FC Köln and national teams like Poland, collaborating with retailers like 11teamsports to manage distribution and production while also creating bespoke kits for smaller nations.
Financial Success: Adidas' new strategy has contributed to record revenue in 2025, with a 13% increase to €24.8 billion and a near doubling of net profit to €1.34 billion.

Back in 2015, Adidas famously announced a major shift in its football sponsorship strategy, deciding to focus almost exclusively on top-tier international clubs and federations with global appeal, such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United. However, for a few years and even more eye-catching since CEO Bjørn Gulden took over in early 2023, the Three Stripes have completely reversed this approach.

Class Plus Mass: Adidas Focuses on Both Small & Big Teams

Adidas has actively pushed to be visible everywhere across the football world, transforming the brand's previous "class instead of mass" motto into a new "class plus mass" philosophy. This strategy means Adidas is once again aggressively signing mid-tier clubs and smaller national teams to maximize its overall brand presence on the pitch.

This massive change is clearly visible in the brand's recent wave of kit deals. Alongside their elite premium roster, Adidas for the 2026-27 season secured partnerships with clubs such as 1. FC Köln, RC Lens, and US Lecce. The brand is also reported to be expanding its international footprint by picking up national teams like Poland, Turkey and North Macedonia. To manage this rapidly growing portfolio of smaller and mid-tier contracts, Adidas is increasingly collaborating with major football retailers like 11teamsports to handle distribution and production.

A prime example of Adidas' new strategy is the Curacao case. Adidas only signed the small nation weeks before they secured qualification for the World Cup. After qualification, Adidas designed 100% bespoke kits for the nation in the last minute. Before, the national team wore basic, makeshift Adidas teamwear kits.

Nike takes over two of Adidas' big deals

What has even more changed is Adidas' classification of its teams. Before, there was a hard split between the top Elite (Real Madrid, Bayern, Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester United, Liverpool, Flamengo) and the others. Now, there are many mid-categories - medium-sized teams such as Leeds, Roma, Celtic, and others get the expensive, authentic tech kits, and much more collections.

Ajax, Benfica, Lyon & Fenerbahçe to Become Adidas Local Elite Teams

Possibly even more remarkably are two of the most important deals that Adidas did lose/is set to lose - the German national team and the Champions League ball maker deal. Nike made offers for both elite deals that Adidas did not want to match.

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

Apr 12, 2026

In 2025, the Three Stripes had a record revenue and a massive profit

So far, the new strategy has been working very well for Adidas. In 2025, the Three Stripes had a record revenue of €24.8 billion (up 13% on a currency-adjusted basis). Operating profit rose by 54% to €2.06 billion, corresponding to an operating margin of 8.3%. Net profit almost doubled to around €1.34 billion, driven by strong growth in footwear and apparel

Do you like seeing the Three Stripes on a wider variety of clubs? Let us know in the comments.