Adidas has supplied match balls for the World Cup since '70.GETTY IMAGES
The battle between Nike and adidas is one of the "fiercest rivalries in business and sport," pitching a "colossus from America against a giant from Germany," according to James Dean of the LONDON TIMES. Their competition for "sportswear supremacy is being played out toe-to-toe in Russia." Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted pledged just before the opening game of the World Cup that the brand would be "present on the pitch in every single match." Nike CEO Mark Parker said that the tournament was a "powerful moment in sport" and that his company would make sure to "amplify its energy." Nike is a "much bigger company" than adidas -- they are valued at $128B and $47B, respectively -- but adidas has an "entrenched position in football, particularly in the World Cup." The German company has a deal with FIFA to sponsor the tournament until '30 and it has supplied the match balls since '70. Of the 32 teams that qualified for the World Cup this year, adidas has shirt sponsorship deals with 12, while Nike has deals with 10. When it comes to football boots, Nike "can claim an easy win." Of the 200 most valuable players to have appeared at this year’s tournament, 132 have worn Nike boots to adidas' 59. Nike "has turned to lucrative player sponsorship deals in football" to help its fight with adidas. Cristiano Ronaldo, the "best-paid sportsman on the planet," wears Nike. So does Harry Kane, the Tottenham and England striker (LONDON TIMES, 7/2).
