Blue Ribbon Sports 1964 · Nike since 1971 · Beaverton, Oregon
Nike Football
Nike is the world's largest football kit manufacturer, supplying national teams and clubs across every major league. What began as a running shoe company in 1964 became the defining force in football kit design after one landmark deal in 1996. Today, 6,441 Nike kits are catalogued by collectors on ShirtSociety.
The deal that changed everything
1996 · $200,000,000
In 1996 Nike signed a ten-year deal with the Brazilian Football Confederation worth $200 million, the largest sportswear deal ever signed at the time. Overnight, the iconic yellow shirt moved from Umbro to the Swoosh.
Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar all went on to wear it. The deal transformed Nike from a running brand into the world's dominant football manufacturer.
Browse all Brazil Nike kits
1998 · World Cup France
The Mercurial. Ronaldo. One summer.
Nike launched the Mercurial boot specifically for Ronaldo at the 1998 World Cup in France. Low-profile, lightweight, built for pure speed. The combination of boot and player gave Nike a visibility in football that money alone could not have bought.
The same year, FC Barcelona began wearing Nike. France lifted the World Cup on home soil in Adidas. Zinedine Zidane scored twice in the final. Nike would not sign France until 2011, but the tournament cemented football as Nike's new battleground.
2018 · Russia World Cup
Nigeria: 3 million pre-orders
The Nigeria home kit sold out within minutes of going on sale. No football shirt had ever generated this demand outside the stadium. See the shirt
Key milestones
First football boots, and a flop
Nike released their first football boot, simply called "The Nike", but it fell apart in the rain. The product had not been properly tested for wet conditions. Nike quietly pulled back from football for the rest of the decade.
US Soccer, the return to football
Nike signs with the United States Soccer Federation. The Americans had worn Adidas at the 1994 home World Cup. This deal marked Nike's serious re-entry into the kit market, one year before the Brazil deal changed everything.
Brazil, $200M and a turning point
The largest sportswear deal ever signed. See above.
Manchester United leaves Umbro
Manchester United signs with Nike. Ruud van Nistelrooy scores 44 goals in the first Nike shirt. United win the Premier League. Browse their Nike kits.
6,441
Kits in ShirtSociety
157
Clubs
12
Teams at WK 2026
1996
Football conquest began
Iconic Nike kits
The most talked-about, most collected and most influential Nike football shirts ever made.
Green with a bold chevron pattern drawn from traditional Nigerian textiles. Over 3 million pre-orders. Sold out within minutes. No football shirt has ever generated this level of demand outside the stadium.
The first yellow shirt carrying the Swoosh after the landmark $200 million deal. Brazil's iconic yellow became synonymous with Nike and remains the most recognized football kit on the planet.
The first shirt Barcelona wore with the Swoosh, replacing Kappa. Rivaldo wins La Liga. A partnership now approaching 30 years.
Ronaldinho wins the Ballon d'Or, Barca win La Liga and the Champions League. The peak of the most exciting team of that era captured in one shirt. Nike reissued it in 2025.
After leaving Umbro, Manchester United wear Nike for the first time. Van Nistelrooy scores 44 goals and United win the Premier League.
A home tournament, orange as always. The Netherlands reach the semi-finals. One of the most collected Nike shirts among Dutch fans and a consistent favorite on ShirtSociety.
Technology and innovation
Dri-FIT · 1991
Moisture-wicking polyester that pulls sweat away from the skin. Now standard in virtually every Nike kit produced.
Vapor Kit · 2014
An ultra-light match shirt weighing just 160 grams. Introduced for major tournaments, now the standard for all Nike match kits.
AeroSwift · 2016
Seamless construction with strategic ventilation zones. First worn at Euro 2016. Designed to reduce drag during high-intensity play.
Recycled · 2020
Millions of recycled plastic bottles processed into polyester fabric each year. Sustainability is now central to Nike's kit production.
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Logo evolution
Blue Ribbon Sports
1964
Nike
1978 – 1985
Nike
1985 – 1995
Nike
1995 – now
