Kylian Mbappé joins On, what it means for Nike and Les Bleus | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé has left Nike for On, just as Nike’s new eight-year kit deal with the French federation begins, worth a little under €100m a year, according to L'Équipe.

The Friday announcement jolted football and marketing. Nike backed the France captain from age nine, first sending him kit via Olivier Gagne, now PSG’s deputy director of professional football. Zinédine Zidane is also an Adidas ambassador.

The brand praised almost two decades together and wished him well. Nike can no longer front campaigns with Mbappé alone, but it can still feature him under a collective image deal with four other players.

It would have preferred to keep the Real Madrid forward, but Nike will still sell France shirts bearing his name. The company cites precedents, from Lionel Messi with Adidas at Nike clubs to Cristiano Ronaldo with Nike at Adidas teams.

After learning he would not renew, the brand held talks with the FFF. The federation will now manage and centralise imagery at camps, which could mean shots where Nike is more visible than On.

Without Mbappé, the Oregon company gains room to invest in younger talents. In renegotiations it offered roughly a 10-year deal worth more than €20m a year, which would have put him alongside NBA star LeBron James. Mbappé turns 28 in December.

He had continued wearing Nike boots after his contract ended in mid-August. Attention turns to Sunday’s derby with Atlético de Madrid at 16:15 to see whether he sports an On prototype or a disguised pair.

Source: L'Équipe

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