Adidas Sees Major Payback from World Cup

Adidas sold four times as many jerseys and twice as many match balls as it did during the last World Cup, according e-mailed response to questions from Bloomberg News . Both of the teams in the finals, including the winner Spain and runner-up Argentina, were sponsored by Adidas. “In total, we expect event-related sales of around €1.5 billion ($1.7 bn), which also includes football-inspired streetwear that is in high demand everywhere,” said Adidas Chief Executive Officer Bjoern Gulden in the statement proviced on Saturday. The figure is well above the company’s previous guidance of more than €1 billion in sales tied to the World Cup. “Seeing two teams – and the referees – in three stripes in the final is more than we could have wished for,” he added. Among the 14 national teams wearing Adidas kits, Mexico’s jersey was the top seller, narrowly ahead of Argentina, while Spain also generated strong sales. Separately, the company’s U.S. retro jersey collection, a denim-inspired design drawing on the 1994 World Cup, ranked among its best-performing apparel launches of the summer. Adidas’ World Cup performance was seen as a win against Nike, which sponsored 12 national teams, including France and England, but none made it to the final. Puma was the third largest kit sponsor at the World Cup, with two of its teams, Morocco and Switzerland, reaching the quarterfinals. Image courtesy Adidas