Adidas is edging ahead of Nike in the early retail battle around the World Cup, with new data suggesting the German giant is seeing a bigger sales uplift from the tournament.
Spending on Adidas apparel jumped 70 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, according to M Science data reported by Reuters, driven by strong demand for football shirts ahead of the tournament.
Nike’s apparel business is also growing, but analysts said Adidas was currently benefiting more strongly from World Cup demand.
Adidas is the official sponsor of the tournament, supplies the match ball and is outfitting 14 national teams.
Nike is sponsoring 12 teams and has refreshed its football ranges across more than 5,000 Nike and wholesale stores globally, as it looks to use the tournament to rebuild momentum after a tougher period of trading.
Footfall data also pointed to a stronger performance for Adidas. Visits to Adidas’ US stores rose 47 per cent during the first week of the World Cup compared with 2026 averages, while visits to Nike’s US factory stores increased 11 per cent, according to Placer.ai.
Compared with the same week last year, Adidas visits were up 16 per cent, while Nike’s outlet traffic declined.
JD Sports said Mexico shirts, which are supplied by Adidas, were its best-selling team kit in the week beginning 15 June. Nike’s US team shirts ranked second.
However, Nike has also seen strong demand for its tournament merchandise, with 28 per cent of its US World Cup range selling out during the first two weeks of the tournament, compared with 7 per cent of Adidas’ range, according to LSEG data.
Nike has maintained a strong presence on the pitch, with a Reuters analysis finding that 232 of 528 World Cup starters so far had worn Nike boots, just ahead of Adidas at 218.
The tournament comes at an important time for Nike, which has been working to revive growth after losing market share in global sports footwear.
Euromonitor International data reported by Reuters showed Nike’s share of the global sports footwear market fell from 29.2 per cent in 2022 to 22.9 per cent last year.
Nike chief executive Elliott Hill, who took over in 2024, has pledged to refocus the business on core sports including football and running after admitting the brand had “lost its obsession with sport”.
While Nike remains the larger business, the early World Cup numbers suggest Adidas is currently converting football fever into stronger retail momentum.
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