Adidas predicts that the football trend will continue until 2025

Adidas expects the growing appeal of football among consumers around the world to be a trend that lasts until 2025, after sales of its jerseys in connection with this year's football tournaments exceeded its expectations.

Sportswear brands such as Adidas, Puma and US rival Nike are betting that more consumers will get involved in sport and buy their products this summer thanks to sporting events such as Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics.

Growth in sales of soccer shoes and apparel in particular helped fuel a 6% rise in apparel sales in the quarter, the first increase in a long time, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said on a call with reporters Wednesday.

The German sportswear maker, whose involvement in soccer includes a sponsorship deal with Major League Soccer in the United States (part of preparations for the 2026 soccer World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada), sold almost 3 million jerseys for Euro 2024 and almost 2 million for the Copa America, Adidas said, starting in the run-up to Christmas in 2023.

Adidas, which on Wednesday said second-quarter revenue in North America excluding sales of its Yeezy line was up from a year ago, also sponsors some of the world's top soccer clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Juventus, highlighting its investment in the game.

However, it is difficult to quantify the category's contribution to overall sales, Gulden added.

“Adidas is now bringing football to the streets and it's a trend we will continue to see strengthen also after football events and in 2025,” Gulden said, adding that the sport had gained a greater presence in the lifestyle category that has typically been led by basketball.

Regarding the Olympic Games, although they do not have a direct commercial impact, the company sees the event as a positive opportunity to showcase the brand and indirectly boost demand.