New York: Nike will have no team represented in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19, after England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina ended the sportswear giant’s hopes of appearing on football’s biggest stage.
The result hands rival Adidas a significant branding advantage, with both finalists, Argentina and Spain, wearing Adidas kits, ensuring the German sportswear company will dominate visibility during the tournament’s showpiece match.
Adidas sponsored 14 national teams at the tournament, while Nike backed 12 teams, including England and France. However, none of Nike’s sponsored nations reached the final.
It was all going to plan until instincts took over…
Rip The Script pic.twitter.com/la43icZaAu
— Nike (@Nike) June 4, 2026
The outcome comes at a challenging time for Nike, which has been looking to strengthen its market position after years of declining market share. The company has relied heavily on the World Cup to boost brand visibility and drive sales, but analysts say a place in the final alone would not have reversed its broader business challenges.
Last month, Nike warned that Chief Executive Elliott Hill’s turnaround strategy continued to face headwinds, with weak demand in China and a cautious business outlook overshadowing a modest increase in fourth-quarter revenue. The company’s shares have fallen by nearly one-third this year as investors await signs of a sustained recovery.
Morningstar analyst David Swartz said Adidas gained valuable publicity from the tournament but noted that Nike’s longer-term priorities remain product innovation, inventory management, and rebuilding sales and profit margins, particularly in China.
A Nike spokesperson noted that the company always aims for its athletes and federation partners to progress as far as possible, but stressed that its long-term football strategy is not dependent on a single tournament or match. Adidas described the World Cup final as a ‘proud moment’ and it continues to outperform Nike in the athletic footwear and apparel market.
Ahead of the tournament, Nike launched two new Mercurial football boots, collaborated with local streetwear designers, and refreshed football merchandise across more than 5,000 Nike and partner retail stores worldwide.
Its ‘Rip the Script’ World Cup campaign, featuring stars including Kylian Mbappé and Kim Kardashian, generated 1.5 billion views during the tournament’s opening week, while sales of its national team kits reached 2.5 times the level recorded during the same period of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
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