Adidas kisses its shirt even before World Cup

Sportswear giant Adidas can declare itself the winner over arch-rival Nike in the upcoming football World Cup even before the first ball has been kicked as it is kitting out the most teams.

After Nike kitted out more teams for the first time in Brazil in 2014, Adidas has fought back, this year sponsoring 12 of the 32 participating teams, including the likes of Germany and hosts Russia.

Nike, by contrast, is sup- plying shirts for ten teams, including Brazil, France and England. However, the German sportswear brand, which is also the official sponsor of the tournament, expects only a limited financial impact because the Russian economy is in the doldrums.

“The World Cup in Russia does carry lower financial opportunities than the similar event four years ago in Brazil,” Adidas chief executive Kasper Rorsted said last month.

“(But) we’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be fantastic.”