With three African Cup of Nations titles to their name, Nigeria are one of the most successful African footballing nations. They have qualified for six FIFA World Cups, making their debut on the world stage in 1994.
While impressing with their skills on the field, the Super Eagles have often turned heads with their innovative and eye-catching kit designs.
Over the past decade or so, they were partnered with American footwear and apparel giant Nike, a partnership worth an estimated $1.5 million annually. This was broken down into $500,000 in cash, along with about $1 million worth of kits and other sporting goods for the national team to use.
Beginning in 2015, the partnership has delivered an estimated $16.5 million in total value.
In addition to the obvious monetary benefits, the collaboration has also yielded some beautiful kits, which now enjoy cult classic status amongst football fans all over the world.
The one jersey that comes to mind first and foremost in this regard is Nigeria’s shirt for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia.
Often described as “the shirt that broke the internet,” it completely transcended sportswear to become a massive global fashion and cultural phenomenon.
The design featured a vibrant lime green base with striking black-and-white chevron and feather-inspired patterns across the sleeves. The aesthetic was inspired by Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup debut strip and traditional Adire textile designs.
As soon as the designs were revealed, fans instantly fell in love, and the launch caused unprecedented global hype, famously racked up over 3 million pre-orders.
It sold out online within three minutes, instantly smashing sales records set by massive clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United. It is widely credited with pushing football kit manufacturers to move away from boring, template-based designs and move towards more creative and imaginative kit designs.
Despite these past successes, however, Nigeria’s partnership with Nike is now reportedly at an end. Heading into the new season, they have signed a deal with German sports giants Adidas, the main competitors to Nike in the world sports market.
This is not the first time the Super Eagles have partnered with the brand, as they also the designated kit manafacturers during some of the most important eras of Nigerian football history, such as their 1994 World Cup debut and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations win.
Importantly, the new partnership with Adidas is much more lucrative for the Nigerian Football Federation. While the deal with Nike brought in a reported annual value of $1.5 million, Adidas will provide about five and a half times that number, offering an average annual value of $8.5 million.
This includes $4.5 million in cash, supplemented by an additional $4 million worth of equipment and kits for the national teams.
While plenty of Nigeria’s best players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi are doing well in their respective careers, playing top-level football in some of Europe’s best leagues, the Nigerian football team has struggled of late, failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fans will hope the Nigerian Football Federation puts the extra funds brought by the lucrative deal with Adidas to good use, helping the Super Eagles soar into a new era of success.
