In a shock move that will end a 77-year relationship with Adidas, the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB) — the governing body for soccer in Germany — announced this week that Nike will become the official kit and equipment supplier for the German national football teams, starting in 2027.
The DFB’s announcement came on Thursday, March 21, saying that “Nike will equip all DFB national teams and promote German football in its entirety.” The contract runs until 2034.
“We understand every emotionality. It is also a drastic event for us as an association when it becomes clear that a partnership that was and is characterized by many special moments is coming to an end after more than 70 years. That doesn’t leave us cold,” the DFB added in subsequent tweets (translated to English by Google). “However, the German Football Association is first and foremost committed to German football and its development. … Against this background, the DFB has to make economic decisions. Nike made by far the best financial offer in the transparent and non-discriminatory tender process.”
“We look forward to working with Nike and the trust placed in us,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said on the federation’s website. The future partnership will enable the DFB to continue to carry out key tasks in the coming decade with a view to the comprehensive development of football in Germany. But one thing is also clear: Until December 2026, we will do everything we can to achieve shared success with our long-standing and current partner adidas, to whom German football has owed a lot for more than seven decades.”
For their part, Adidas officials seemed blindsided by the announcement. The company only provided a brief statement to Reuters and other media: “We have a current contract with the German Football Association DFB until the end of 2026. We were informed by the DFB today that the federation will have a new supplier from 2027 onwards.”
The move comes just days after Adidas released new national team kits for Germany as they host Euro 2024 this summer, as well as for other countries competing in that tournament and in the upcoming 2024 Copa América.
Germany is one of the highest-profile national teams outfitted by Adidas. The company has supplied kits to German and West German national teams since 1950. They won four World Cup titles over that time: 1954, 1974, 1990 (all as West Germany) and 2014 (as Germany).
Adidas’s contract with the DFB runs until the end of 2026, and it includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
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