Kylian Mbappé broke his commercial ties with Nike, the sports brand that had sponsored him throughout his career. The news represents a blow to the market, as he rejected a renewal to join the nascent Swiss firm called On, which features faces like Roger Federer and Thierry Henry.
According to information from the European press, the captain of the French national team rejected a renewal offer for a figure close to 20 million euros annually. The news was made official by Mbappé himself, by uploading a post to his social networks. On Instagram, he made a publication with three photos, in which he is seen wearing the brand’s clothing: first sitting on the floor with a soccer ball in his hands, another playing with the ball on his head, and another leaning on one of the machines where they make footwear.
Although it may seem like a surprise, On is a consolidated brand in the world of running. One of the striking aspects of this new link is that Mbappé will not only be the face of the brand, but will also participate in the technical development and testing of the soccer shoes they will launch in 2027.
The incorporation of the Real Madrid striker to the firm was slowly cooked. According to information from diario Sport, Thierry Henry, who also serves as director of On’s football division, was in charge of finalizing his signing after months of work.
With this, Mbappé joins a list of players who have not signed with the duopoly that dominates football (Nike and Adidas), such as Harry Kane with Skechers, Bukayo Saka with New Balance, or Ferrán Torres with Under Armour. For now, these maneuvers are far from being a trend, since the main football stars still belong to the two aforementioned firms, but it can set a precedent for other players in their commercial ties.
