Neymar Jr's football boots
The most striking case of all those that have occurred or are currently unfolding is that of Neymar Jr. The Brazilian star, having been one of Nike’s most recognisable icons, failed to reach an agreement to extend his contract and we eventually saw him make the move to another leading brand in the sector.
In this particular case, it seems to be clearly a matter of contractual terms rather than Neymar Jr.’s marketing prowess or influence, as that is already spectacular.
In addition to this case, we have two others involving top-tier players such as Robert Lewandowski and Raheem Sterling. In the case of the Polish striker, we have seen him trying on boots from different brands over the past few weeks, yet we still see him on the pitch wearing his old Nike football boots; however, he is not using the new Nike Phantom GT model, but rather older versions.
This may be due to his contract coming to an end, and it certainly doesn’t look as though the FC Bayern striker will continue to wear the Swoosh on his football boots. In the Englishman’s case, it is particularly striking, as he suddenly stopped wearing his usual brand to switch to an all-white model that is impossible to identify; it is not associated with any other brand and, in some photos, they even look very similar to American football boots.
It seems the Manchester City winger will no longer be wearing Nike football boots, and once again it appears to be a contractual issue – either because no agreement has been reached, or because the demands made by the England international’s agent have not been met. But if there’s one case that has really thrown a spanner in the works recently, it’s that of Sergio Ramos. The Real Madrid player has been constantly switching between pairs of all-black boots for several weeks now. Some appear to be New Balance, others adidas, but the fact is that we no longer see the legendary Nike Tiempo football boots on his feet, which the Spanish centre-back is so often seen wearing.
In this case, we have seen how Ramos, who has had exclusive models, is joining the group we have been discussing, and it seems he will no longer be wearing boots from the American brand either.
All these cases seem to send a clear message: Nike’s commitment to younger players and a clear strategy focused on the next generation of top footballers. Jadon Sancho, Kylian Mbappé, and a host of young players who do wear the Swoosh and who are Nike’s figureheads in the world of football. Nor can we forget that meeting the demands of many of the players who are leaving, in this time of pandemic, may be more complicated than usual, despite the greatness of the brands.
In conclusion, barring any last-minute surprises, it looks as though we’ll see a new wave of classic Nike players switching to other brands. It’s a striking development, but one that has happened several times before in the history of the sport with other brands, and it once again guarantees fierce competition among the major sportswear brands. Will we see another of Nike’s star players leave the brand? Or perhaps the American brand is planning a signing that will take our breath away? For now, we can only wait and see what surprises lie ahead.
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