Kylian Mbappé Leaves Nike for On After 20 Years
Kylian Mbappé Image by On
On has signed Kylian Mbappé as it launches into football, ending a Nike relationship that started when he was eight years old and giving the Swiss brand its highest-profile signing yet.
On's first move
On's first move into a sport it has never previously supplied, and it hands the Zurich-based brand one of the game's most commercially valuable athletes as its entry point. Nike signed Mbappé when he was eight years old, long before Monaco, his record-breaking 2018 move to PSG, or his 2024 transfer to Real Madrid. The relationship ran for nearly 20 years and, under his most recent terms, was reported to be worth around €14 million a year, producing 12 signature boots along the way, the last being a gold-and-turquoise Mercurial Superfly released this summer.
The contract expired on July 31, 2026, and by March, according to reporting, the chances of a renewal were already close to zero. Nike has also lost other elite talent to rivals recently, including Lamine Yamal to Adidas. Alongside Mbappé, On named Thierry Henry as Director of Football. The former Arsenal and France forward has worked with the brand on its football strategy since late 2025, covering product and athlete relationships and playing a central role in the development of On's football entry.
Sydney Schertenleib, the Swiss international and FC Barcelona player who joined On in December 2025 as a Training and Lifestyle ambassador, also moves into the football project, working directly with On's teams on product development and testing for the women's game. On's own announcement did not disclose the financial value of the deal, but the company confirmed that the arrangement includes both cash and equity components. Mbappé will work directly with On's product teams on footwear and apparel, integrating his experience into the development and testing of future football products. The company plans to apply LightSpray, its robotic manufacturing technology first introduced in 2024, to football footwear. The technology uses a continuous sprayed filament to form the upper, offering a different approach to conventional footwear construction.
Global ambassador for On
Mbappé will also become a global ambassador for On beyond football, extending the partnership into movement, performance, and contemporary design.
"Football needs new ideas and a challenge to what is possible," said David Allemann, Founder and co-CEO of On. "With Kylian we have the perfect partner to dream what football can become." "From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow's game," said Mbappé.
No African country, athlete, or market features directly in the deal. However, it is a case for African football stakeholders to watch. Nike, Adidas, and Puma have established deep relationships across African football through federations, clubs, and individual athletes. On is entering with a different model: a highly selective group of elite players working directly with its product teams to develop and test football products, with Mbappé at the center of that approach. The strategy gives On an immediate connection to one of football's biggest global stars while allowing the brand to build its football product alongside the athletes who will use it.
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