Portugal look set to bring their long-standing partnership with Nike to an end, with reports suggesting that the Portuguese Football Federation are set to sign a deal with PUMA.
Portugal and Nike have been in partnership since 1997, but according to Spanish media outlet Marca, after over two and a half decades, it’s set to come to an end with news that PUMA have won the bid to replace the Swoosh. The PUMA Portugal contract will reportedly start in January 2025, when the deal with Nike ends. This means that Portugal will debut PUMA kits at the 2026 World Cup, while they will still be in Nike kits for Euro 2024 in Germany.
It’s a huge blow for Nike, who will be losing one of their longest-lasting national partnerships. It is matched by Brazil, and bettered only by The Netherlands (1996) and USA (1995) in the Swoosh’s setup. Germany and adidas are currently up to 43 years, having featured the Three Stripes for the first time in 1980 (technically that partnership started in 1954, but Erima, who owned the brand back then, was the first to stamp its logo on many of the 60s and 70s shirts), while Austria and PUMA hold top spot on that technicality, with a deal that spans 47 years, dating back to 1976.
During the 26 years that Nike have been providing Portugal with kits, they’ve dressed such greats as Figo, Rui Costa, Deco, Quaresma, Simao, and, perhaps most notably, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been the brand’s star man throughout his playing career. That means that the presence of the Swoosh synced up nicely with his brand affiliation when on international duty, something that’s rarely happened at club level. Now, whether CR7 is still playing for the national team in two years remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: you should never bet against it.
Negotiations with the new technical sponsor are carried out directly by Fernando Gomes , president of the Portuguese Football Federation, and the agreement with PUMA is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
Watch this space...
