adidas v Nike

Soccer is filled with competitiveness, drama and layered stories. Derbies between teams. Histories of clubs and the people that built them. Styles of play. Drama around player transfers. The sport has it all. And one of the things it has in droves are deep rooted rivalries. Enter Nike and adidas.

adidas v Nike

The two biggest brands in global soccer might be as big as any rivalry that the sport has to offer. On and off the field, both brands have enjoyed tremendous success as product suppliers to the world's biggest national teams, clubs, players and so on. And each brand has deep rooted ties to two of the most successful soccer nations in the world.

Germany and Adidas

adidas is as synonymous with Germany as any major brand can be with a specific country. Born and bred in Germany, they have been involved in soccer as deeply as any sportswear company and until recently, sponsored the German National Federation for the last seven plus decades. adidas and German soccer just went together.

But not anymore. Nike stepped in and swooshed them up. Starting in 2027 German national teams will be wearing Nike kits.

Nike strikes first. Nike 1. Germany 0.

To counter balance the relationship between Germany and adidas in the world of international soccer, there really is only one other relationship that holds similar weight. Albeit for different reasons. 

Brazil and Nike

Nike might not be a Brazilian company, but they ooze Brazilian flare and have been long time partners with the Brazilian Federation. Think of Brazil and Nike and you think of World Cup champions, players like the OG Ronaldo and Ronaldinho (among countless others) and some of the greatest ads the sport has seen. Brazil and Nike make sense. Jogo bonito and arguably the coolest sportswear brand in the last half century was like a statement piece in global football.

News and speculation abound that adidas will be making a move for the Brazilian federation. And just like that, the international soccer scene would officially enter the upside down world. adidas to Brazil and Nike to Germany. Maybe the oddest "transfer" in recent soccer times. And while not officially announced yet, adidas gets half a point for the publicity alone that this generates.

Nike 1. Adidas 0.5.

Where this gets even more interesting is the general shift in focus for both brands. If, and this is still an if, Brazil go with adidas, then adidas instantly becomes the soccer brand in South America. At that point they would sponsor Brazil, Argentina, and Messi. 

And with Nike taking over as the supplier to the German federation, they have basically sewn up damn near every big footballing nation in Europe. 

England, France, Portugal, The Netherlands, Croatia and possibly Germany.

So does this mean that as a brand Nike is focusing the vast majority of their soccer business unit on Europe? And can the same be said for adidas and their South American focus?

Multi gazillion dollar brands like Nike and adidas and feds with the power of Brazil and Germany don't make these decisions lightly. These decisions will have real impacts across not only the soccer divisions of the respective companies but also across their global businesses as a whole.

Lastly, and for most of us, how does this affect fans? Will German fans embrace Nike? And what about Brazilian fans and Adidas? Brand loyalty runs deep and so do emotional connections that we may or may not even know we have. 

However this plays out, as a neutral, it will be odd seeing Germany in Nike kits and possibly Brazil in adidas. But drama and intrigue sleep for nobody...