The FIFA World Cup 2018 final on Sunday, July 15, will decide the new world champion of football. Whatever be the outcome of the final, one fact is conclusively established –Nike will be the champion of the brand battle in this edition of the World Cup.
The brand war among the global sportswear giants in the ongoing World Cup in Russia has concluded well before the finals between France and Croatia, slated for July 15 at the iconic Luzhniki stadium. Nike is already sitting pretty being the most visible brand on the pitch with challenge from the strong contenders Adidas and Puma in the fray.
Nike is assured to be the kit partner brand of the 2018 FIFA World Cup champion team.
As the two finalists are gearing up for the last shot on football’s most coveted title run, Nike has already won the World Cup in terms of the brand visibility on the field from the semi-finals onwards. The final will be an all-Nike affair. For Nike being the official kit partner of the two finalists – France and Croatia.
The American sportswear brand had started its FIFA World Cup journey with 10 teams – Poland, Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Korea, England, Portugal, Croatia, France, Brazil, and Nigeria – entering the tournament in the Nike kits. Adidas, which is also FIFA’s long-standing partner, was better off with 12.
With Croatia stunning England with a 2-1 defeat and France beating Belgium by 1-0, Nike has ensured its brand presence on players kit in all the stages of the month-long gala – right from the group stage to the much awaited ultimate showdown.
Iran, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, Columbia, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Belgium and the host Russia were all dressed up by Adidas. The German sports giant who had 37.5% of the World Cup team kits share in the beginning was only able to lead among the brands until the round of 16, where half of the teams were in Adidas kits in the first knockout phase.
In term of teams’ first-round elimination, Nike ended up a bigger loser than Adidas. While Adidas had seen 33% of its 12 sponsored teams marching out of the World Cup after group stages, for Nike the loss was 50%.
However, for Nike, the fortunes had soared high above its German competitor as four of its teams – France, Brazil, England and Croatia – reached the quarter-finals phase. Belgium, Sweden and the hosts Russia were from the Adidas’s sponsorship roster. Puma, that started with four teams, was a loner brand in quarter finals with just Uruguay.
Nike kept on dominating with its presence as France, England and Croatia went to the semifinals whereas Adidas were left with mere one – Belgium. This world cup of upsets and uncertainties has also aptly fitted itself into the context of brand wars among the sportswear giants.
Adidas and Nike continue to dominate the global sportswear industry with an impressive international football business portfolio giving a hard time to other brands that saw their presence in Russia such as New Balance, Puma, Hummel, Errea and Uhlsport. Leveraging from brand presence on team kits for longer durations, especially during the world’s biggest sporting spectacle like football world cup, would mean gargantuan ROIs through merchandise sales.