Recently, Mbappé, captain of the French national team and Real Madrid star, and Swiss sportswear brand On, officially announced the completion of their partnership agreement, with both parties set to embark on a deep collaboration. According to The Athletic, On's football boot line is positioned as a premium product and will officially launch in 2027.

Real Madrid forward Mbappé has ended his long-term partnership with Nike and become the first ambassador for Swiss brand On's football boot line, marking the brand's entry into the football footwear category.

On has long focused on premium running shoes and previously expanded into tennis. In 2019, tennis legend Roger Federer partnered with and invested in the brand. Current On-sponsored athletes also include US Open finalist Ben Shelton.

However, for the 17-year-old Swiss company, entering football represents its boldest move yet. As part of its expansion strategy, On has recruited former French international and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as its football director. Henry has been quietly in the role since 2025 and facilitated the partnership between the two parties as Mbappé's Nike contract expired this summer.

With this signing, the French international not only rejected Nike but also declined offers from top footwear brands like Adidas and Puma. In the market, newer brands New Balance and Skechers have also emerged as competitors. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but The Athletic reports that Mbappé has acquired equity in On. On declined to comment further.

On said in a statement on Friday: "Mbappé will be at the heart of On's football journey, and this iconic footballer will partner with the most innovative sportswear brand."

The statement added: "He will work directly with On's product team to integrate his elite competitive insights into research, development, and testing of future football boots and apparel. At the same time, he will serve as a global ambassador for On, expanding the partnership beyond football into sports performance, lifestyle, and fashion design."

Mbappé said: "From the start, what attracted me was the opportunity to create something new with On and help shape the future of football. I want to inject my experience and insights into product creation, push boundaries through innovation, and always hold onto the pure joy that football brings. We share the same vision, and this is just the beginning."

On also announced that it has expanded its partnership with Swiss international and Barcelona women's footballer Sydney Schertenleib. She joined On in December 2025 as an ambassador for training apparel and lifestyle, and will also participate in future football boot collaborations.

In an interview with The Athletic, On founder David Allemann revealed that the brand's first football boot will launch in 2027 and be positioned as a premium product. The company also plans to make an impact in the women's football market ahead of next summer's Women's World Cup, and Mbappé is expected to wear On's new boots on the pitch in the coming weeks.

Mbappé's departure from Nike reflects a broader trend among top athletes: they want greater creative input and agency in brand partnerships. According to Mbappé's official website, he has worked with Nike since 2006, when he was just 8 years old, and the partnership brought significant returns. Nike previously scaled back partnerships with numerous players, instead concentrating resources on a core roster of elite stars like Mbappé, Ronaldo, and Haaland, with Mbappé as a key member.

However, Mbappé clearly valued a different opportunity: becoming the undisputed face of On's new football boot line, allowing him to stand out uniquely.

Allemann added: "Football doesn't need another sportswear brand doing repetitive things—it needs new ideas, it needs to challenge boundaries. As we enter this sport, we aspire to be the benchmark brand for the future through genuine innovation and cutting-edge design. And Mbappé is the perfect partner to imagine football's future with us."

On's Rise

On was founded in Switzerland in 2010 and has grown at a remarkable pace. The brand initially focused on running shoes, with a distinctive sole design inspired by garden hoses, and has since become a powerhouse in the sportswear industry.

Its partnership with tennis legend Roger Federer in 2019 was a turning point—Federer became a shareholder, a move that propelled On's profile to new heights.

Two years later, On completed its initial public offering (IPO), raising $746 million. As a premium positioning brand, On has continued to expand in an intensely competitive market.

According to 2025 financial results, On's net sales for the full year reached £2.73 billion, a 30% increase year-over-year. The company has set an ambition to build "the world's leading premium sportswear brand" in coming years.

Now, entering football, the world's number one sport, marks On's next major milestone. And securing Mbappé away from Nike, with whom he had a long-term partnership, is undoubtedly a highly aggressive opening move. Federer once helped On establish its footing in a new market; now the brand hopes that top footballer Mbappé can replicate that success.

How Significant Is the Mbappé Signing?

Despite having Federer, one of tennis's greatest players, as an investor, the Mbappé signing remains On's biggest coup to date.

Previously, On's biggest star was Iga Świątek—the six-time Grand Slam champion was considered the best player of her era. In spring 2023, she signed a full equipment deal with On. At that time, she was world number one and held three Grand Slam titles. However, this was a transition period for On. Prior to that, the brand only made tennis shoes, and the Świątek partnership was a crucial step into professional tennis apparel.

The Polish star was the lead ambassador for this expansion, while her peer Ben Shelton was then a 20-year-old American college star ranked outside the top 40.

That same summer, Shelton had a breakout performance, reaching the US Open semifinal. When On signed him, he had no major sponsorship deal, while Świątek left Asics to join On.

Świątek faced some early challenges: because On needed to develop shoes tailored to elite-level footwork and high-intensity movements, she alternated between On's Federer Pro line and her old Asics shoes for a period. Federer himself also wears On shoes, but his apparel remains sponsored by Uniqlo—a $300 million contract he signed with Uniqlo in 2018 after leaving Nike, which runs through 2028.

For On, signing Mbappé for its first venture into football is reminiscent of when they signed Świątek, but Mbappé's global recognition far exceeds hers. The common motivation for Mbappé, Świątek, and Shelton in choosing On is straightforward: they want to be core members of the brand's roster and receive exclusive focus, rather than being lost among a vast roster of endorsers.

Shelton explained his reasoning for choosing On in a 2024 interview: "I didn't want to be one of 50 ambassadors for Nike."

"Of course, On has the greatest icon in tennis history—besides Serena Williams, that's also incredibly appealing."

He was not a Nike endorser at that time, but poaching an established player like Świątek from Asics is entirely different from luring a football superstar like Mbappé away from Nike's core roster. Nike has adopted a similar strategy in tennis: reducing partnerships with non-elite players and concentrating resources on a core group, with Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka as their favored stars.

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