Mbappe's 'bold gamble' fails as 20-year relationship to continue

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FT Desk

Kylian Mbappe has apparently signed a new contract with Nike after reports suggested he could jump ship for an alternative sponsorship deal.

The American sportswear giant clearly saw something special in the Frenchman at a young age, as they struck a partnership with him when he was just eight years old.

As he progressed into a football superstar, his relationship with Nike grew and grew.

He initially wore the 'Hypervenom' boots before becoming one of the leading faces of Nike's Mercurial range. Nike has created several special-edition Mercurial boots for him, with designs often reflecting his personality, background and career. One example is the “Bondy Dreams” edition, which references Bondy, the Paris suburb where the player grew up.

Ça avance fort pour une marque "inattendue" pour devenir l'équipementier de Kylian Mbappé. Finalisation... ⏳

Gros changement. Tête d'affiche football pour que la marque débarque en grande pompe dans le football avec une paire premium...

Kylian Mbappé bénéficiera sans doute de…

— T.V. (@ThibaudVezirian) August 8, 2026

According to a report from journalist Thibaud Vezirian, the partnership ended on 31st July, with the expectation that Mbappe would announce a lucrative new sponsorship with an unexpected brand ahead of the new season with Real Madrid.

It is said the new brand was looking to establish itself in football and isn't a recognised brand in the sport already.

Mbappe was set to receive shares in the company as well as specialised brands, akin to Michael Jordan's incredibly successful Air Jordan range with Nike.

Reports have suggested that Mbappe's previous Nike contract was worth around €14 million per year, although the exact terms have not been publicly confirmed. Brands such as Adidas and Under Armour have shown interest in signing him, but they are set to lose out.

However, the EspoirsduFootball page on X, which has over 180,000 followers, has confirmed that Nike and Mbappe have struck a new deal, with the brand releasing a new range to honour the Frenchman becoming the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup this past summer.

🤡 Moins de 48h plus tard, Nike annoncé la nouvelle collaboration avec Mbappé. Il a tenté un coup de poker, il a échoué !

(il dira que c'était un teasing et que tout était carré, mais au moins, ça n'a pas duré 6 ans comme la vente de l'OM à l'Arabie Saoudite ...) pic.twitter.com/Njb86Yubzm

— EspoirsduFootball (@EspoirsduFoot) August 10, 2026

If Mbappe did go with a brand that is not known for football sportswear, he would have followed in the footsteps of Harry Kane, who signed a deal with comfort footwear brand Skechers in 2023.

The England captain's deal with Skechers is particularly interesting because he was the player the company used to launch its venture into football.

In August 2023, Skechers announced that Kane had signed a lifetime global deal, making him the face of its new football division.

He began wearing Skechers boots when he moved to Bayern Munich at the start of the 2023/24 season.