Germany National Football Team Set to End Seven-Decade Partnership With Adidas in Favor of Nike Due to One Big Reason

(Photo : KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images) Germany's forward Deniz Undav (L) and Germany's forward Niclas Fuellkrug arrive for a press conference and walks past a mannequin wearing the new German kit made by Adidas. Germany's national football teams will wear jerseys made by US sportswear giant Nike from 2027, the German Football Association (DFB) said on March 21, 2024, ending a decades-long kit partnership with domestic outfitter Adidas.

The Germany national football team is set to look drastically different in the future.

The German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund, DFB) has revealed that it has agreed to a deal with American sportswear giant Nike to supply apparel and kits for all of its national football teams.

The historic deal is scheduled to begin in 2027 and is expected to conclude in 2034 unless an extension is negotiated.

The new deal marks the end of over 70 years of the German national team's partnership with local sportswear giant Adidas, outfitting the team since 1954, covering almost a lifetime's worth of collaboration.

Even the DFB acknowledges the significant change, stating that they recognize the emotional reactions of fans who may be upset with their switch to Nike.

"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," the governing body said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Germany's huge reason behind switch to Nike

The German Football Association may have a compelling reason for switching to their longtime kit supplier's biggest rivals.

Nike is reportedly set to pay the DFB more than €100 million ($108 million) per year, compared to the approximately €50 million ($54.3 million) currently paid by Adidas.

Despite the financial benefit, some fans are still upset that the national team will not be outfitted by a German brand, especially considering Puma, the world's third-largest sportswear brand, is of German origin.