Adidas and Germany go together like Batman and Robin, but all things come to an end and after over 70 years, yes 70 YEARS, Adidas and Germany will be parting ways. The announcement was made by the German soccer federation (DFB) on Thursday.
Taking over for Adidas will be Nike, an odd move considering Nike is closing shop in supplying club teams and according to reports only wants to dress soccer players and select soccer teams and countries. Germany seems to be top of that list for the swoosh brand.
“We’re looking forward to working with Nike and the trust they’ve placed in us,” federation president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement. “The future partnership will enable the DFB to continue to carry out key tasks in the coming decade with regard to the comprehensive development of soccer in Germany. But one thing is also clear — until December 2026, we will do everything we can to achieve shared success with our long-standing and current partner Adidas, to whom German soccer has owed a lot for more than seven decades.”
The history of Adidas and Germany
Adidas began supplying the national team of Germany way back in the 1954 World Cup, the German’s first ever FIFA World Cup triumph. Together Adidas and Germany worked together in putting out some of soccer’s most iconic kits.
They also won championships, a lot of them, 4 FIFA World Cups, 3 Euro Cups, 1 FIFA Confederations Cup, and 1 Summer Olympic Gold Medal in 1976.
Nike will take over supplying the German national team as of 2027, leaving the 2024 Euros and 2026 as Adidas final stand with Germany in this first stint. Nike will have a contract in place to supply Germany from 2027 to 2034.