In what is a huge deal for North American Soccer, MLS and adidas have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership that’s reportedly valued at $830 million, and will go through 2030.
The league wide sponsorship between adidas and MLS is something of a foreign concept on European shores, but it’s a deal that has been in place since the league’s inception back in 1996, and it brings an intriguing uniformity to proceedings. The fear would always be of slipping down a dangerous template route, but over the last few seasons adidas has been flexing its creative muscles with the assistance of each individual club, releasing some bespoke belters that really lean into the individual identities of each franchise. Now, announced days before MLS kicks off its 28th season, the deal has been extended in what is adidas’s largest-ever investment in North American soccer.
The announcement comes following the unveiling of the league’s 2023 season kits, with Major League Soccer entering its 28th season this month. The partnership will now celebrate its 30-year anniversary in 2026, coinciding with the World Cup that year, which, as it happens, will be jointly hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico. It feels like the perfect storm of footballing hype that could really propel the North American soccer scene to all new heights.
“We are so pleased to extend our partnership with adidas, the leading soccer brand in the world,” said MLS Commissioner, Don Garber. “Adidas had been helping to drive the popularity of MLS and the sport of soccer in North America for generations and we look forward to working closely with them to accelerate our growth leading into and following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
“We are very proud to be extending our partnership with Major League Soccer. It is incredible to see the growth and success of the League and soccer in North America and the work that has been done,” said adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden. “Soccer is an important part of our history and who we are at adidas. We are committed to helping grow the game and could not be more excited as we approach the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.”
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