Adidas and Nike battle for World Cup fans, sales and investor confidence

Adidas entered the 2026 World Cup with a structural edge that goes beyond jerseys. The brand was the official FIFA sponsor and match-ball supplier, a role it has held since 1970, and it outfitted 14 national teams to Nike’s 12 as the tournament unfolded across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first men’s World Cup in North America since 1994.

That setup made the event a direct contest for American sportswear loyalty. Adidas has long had the football pedigree, but Nike brings broader cultural reach and a much larger U.S. retail footprint. For both companies, the tournament is less about one summer of sales than about whether World Cup visibility can shift consumer habits in a market where every percentage point matters.

The early numbers pointed in different directions. Adidas apparel spending jumped 70% in May from a year earlier, and visits to Adidas U.S. stores rose 47% during the first week of the World Cup compared with 2026 averages. Nike’s U.S. factory-store traffic increased 11% over the same benchmark. Yet a separate retail readout found Nike with the stronger sell-through: 28% of Nike World Cup merchandise sold out in the first two weeks, compared with 7% for Adidas.

Price helped explain part of the gap. Nike’s average World Cup apparel price was $125, versus $95 for Adidas, a sign of stronger pricing power in some jerseys and shirts. JD Sports said Mexico jerseys supplied by Adidas were its best-selling team kit during the week beginning June 15, while Nike’s U.S. team jerseys ranked second, underscoring how team identity and host-market exposure can move product quickly.

The stakes are sharper for Nike, which has been trying to regain momentum after years of market-share losses. Euromonitor data cited by Reuters showed Nike’s share of the global sports-footwear market falling from 29.2% in 2022 to 22.9% in 2025. Nike also posted fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter revenue of $11.0 billion, down 1% from a year earlier, and full-year revenue of $46.4 billion, flat on a reported basis.

Adidas has leaned into football with tournament-linked activations and limited editions, including Adidas Mexico x Someone Somewhere and Jacquemus x Nike Team France, both of which sold quickly. For investors, the World Cup is now a hard test of whether Adidas can turn its soccer roots into more U.S. business, or whether Nike can convert broader brand power into lasting football loyalty.