German Football Ditches Adidas for Nike

The decades-long kit supply tie-up between German football’s governing body, the German Football Association (German: Deutscher Fußball-Bund) and German sportswear giant Adidas, one of the most renowned technical deals in sport, will come to an end after the 2026 World Cup. 

Sportswear rivals Nike will take over as kit and equipment supplier to the DFB for the 2027-34 cycle. Nike will equip all German national representative sides and “promote German soccer in its entirety”, the DFB have announced. 

The annual value of the Nike-DFB deal will reportedly be at least €100 million ($108.1 million).

German teams have used Adidas products at all major FIFA World Cups dating back to 1954, but the DFB have said that Nike made “the best economic offer” for the cycle following on from the 2026 World Cup (to be held in Mexico, the US, and Canada). 

Of course lah, money can move mountains! And it's a Nike win over Adidas!

GlobalData Sport analyst Conrad Wiacek stated: “The German FA's decision to move away from Adidas shows that no deal in sport is safe. While tradition and long-standing relationships play a huge role, the reality is that more often than not, the biggest cheque will win".

Not surprisingly, the deal was criticized by German politicians, with German economy minister Robert Habeck saying he would have “liked a bit more local patriotism”, while Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the decision “wrong”.

To quote King Solomon, "money answers all things"!