Nike in exclusive talks to replace Adidas as UEFA match ball supplier

UC3, the UEFA-club joint venture, said Thursday it entered exclusive talks with Nike ↗2.29% to supply match balls for all UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027 to 2031.channelnewsasia
The deal would end Adidas ↗3.12%‘s 25-year tenure as Champions League ball supplier, with the contract’s value potentially exceeding €40 million a year, per the Financial Times.channelnewsasia
Nike, Adidas, and Puma all bid after a formal tender launched in March; Nike emerged as the exclusive negotiating partner.sportsbusinessjournal

Nike Enters Exclusive Talks to Replace Adidas as UEFA Match Ball Supplier

UC3, the commercial joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association, announced on Thursday that it has entered exclusive negotiations with Nike to become the official match ball provider for all UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027 to 2031. If finalized, the deal would end Adidas’s 25-year reign as the Champions League match ball supplier, a partnership that has been in place since 2001.channelnewsasia

A Deal Worth Double

The value of the proposed contract could roughly double to more than €40 million per year, according to the Financial Times, citing a person familiar with the matter. The four-year agreement would cover the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, giving Nike its first foothold as a match ball supplier for UEFA’s flagship men’s club tournaments.aawsat

From Tender to Exclusive Talks

The path to Thursday’s announcement began in March, when Relevent Football Partners and UC3 launched an official match ball tender for UEFA men’s club competitions, with the winning brand set to take over from the 2027-28 season. At the time, Adidas, Nike, and Puma were all identified as contenders for the contract, according to SportsPro. Decathlon currently provides the balls for the Europa League and Conference League, while Adidas supplies the Champions League ball.sportsbusinessjournal

Broader Shifts in Football’s Sponsorship Market

The negotiations come amid a period of movement in football’s commercial landscape. Nike recently lost its long-running boot deal with Kylian Mbappé, who parted ways with the brand ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Puma, meanwhile, replaced Nike as the Premier League’s match ball supplier. A UEFA Champions League match ball deal would represent a counter-move for Nike in a market where brand visibility during elite European competition reaches a cumulative live audience that reportedly exceeded one billion viewers last season.facebook

UC3 did not disclose a timeline for concluding the negotiations.