Messi’s influence tips Adidas over Nike for Yamal

Adidas secured Lamine Yamal’s switch from Nike after a ten‑year agreement worth roughly €32 million, a deal sealed in Barcelona.

Adidas’ tactical, emotional pitch

The German sportswear giant did not rely solely on money, opting for a tactical and emotional approach. Adidas understood that the Barcelona forward’s connection with Lionel Messi could not be matched by any financial offer. According to SPORT, citing The Athletic, Messi personally helped persuade the teenager to leave Nike before the partnership was announced in February 2024. Negotiations took place in autumn 2023, highlighting the influence idols can have on emerging stars.

Adidas arranged a meeting in Barcelona, bringing senior executives together with Yamal and his representatives. During the presentation, a video message from Messi greeted the teenager with, “Hello, Lamine, it’s Lionel Messi.” Nike also tried to sway Yamal, sending a personal message from Kylian Mbappe. Yamal saw Mbappe as a contemporary benchmark, but he had admired Messi since childhood.

The deal positioned Yamal as a central figure in Adidas’ next generation of football ambassadors, offering him a chance to build a commercial identity alongside his idol. Adidas made Yamal the first player besides Messi to wear the Argentine’s exclusive signature boots, the X Crazyfast Leo Messi ‘Spark Gen10s’. Nike’s strategy centred on its existing roster of global stars such as Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr., preferring to prioritise its current portfolio over an expensive bidding war.

Adidas identified an opportunity to secure a talent whose potential extended beyond his performances at Barcelona. Since joining the German company, Yamal has become one of football’s most recognisable young superstars, and the partnership has grown into a broader personal‑branding exercise. While Messi’s influence sparked the initial move, the long‑term aim is to establish Yamal as a global sporting icon in his own right.