World Cup final wasn’t ‘what we dreamt’, Nike Football boss says

LOS ANGELES – Nike would have liked a different ending to the World Cup.

Spain triumphed over Argentina in the final on July 19, with both teams facing off in adidas gear. Each of them had beaten Nike-clad teams – France and England – in the semi-finals.

For a sportswear and sneaker company such as Nike, having its teams fall short of the final means missing out on the windfall generated by fans splurging on merchandise. All the Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal jerseys seen across the US and beyond the final represent added revenue for Nike’s biggest rival.

“I know the ending was not what we dreamt,” Camilo Andrade, vice-president and general manager of Nike Football wrote in a memo reviewed by Bloomberg News, following the conclusion of the tournament.

But he also wrote that “regardless of the score and who lifted the cup, we have done our job”.

Nike, reconfigured under chief executive officer Elliott Hill to emphasise sports, approached the World Cup as a major opportunity to gain ground in football.

“We executed the plan we wanted, we controlled what was in our control,” Andrade said in the memo.

He also acknowledged some adversity. 

“Against all odds and with an infinite number of challenges, this football team has not only written the greatest comeback story, but it has given Nike and the world reasons to believe,” Andrade wrote. 

Nike’s jerseys drew criticism ahead of the tournament for puckering on the shoulder.

Production delays also meant that some tournament-related inventory did not reach retailers on the company’s expected timeline.

Nike supplied kits for a number of teams at this World Cup, including the US, Canada and Norway. 

“Keep pushing, keep believing, keep trying. And domination will come,” Andrade said.

Looking ahead, Andrade said Nike has “an outsized opportunity to lead and own women’s football”. The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil. 

Beyond football, adidas-sponsored athletes have also scored a number of successes in recent months.

Two adidas runners – Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha – posted record times at the London Marathon, breaking the two-hour barrier that Nike has also been chasing. Another runner, Josh Kerr, beat the world record for the men’s mile wearing Brooks shoes. 

Nike is under ongoing pressure to rebound from an extended bout of slower-than-normal sales growth. The company has improved results in the US and in running, but faced persistent weakness in China and its Converse brand. BLOOMBERG