Nike to succeed Adidas as UEFA Champions League ball supplier

Nike is set to become the official match ball supplier for the UEFA Champions League starting in the 2027-28 season, succeeding Adidas. The transition follows the conclusion of Adidas's long-standing partnership at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Reports suggest the new deal with Nike could be worth approximately $45 million annually. While there was initial speculation that Nike might be forced to create a new design due to Adidas potentially holding trademarks on the interconnected star panel construction, new reports indicate that the iconic ‘Starball’ design will likely be maintained.

Although UEFA established the star-patterned brand identity in 1992, Adidas was responsible for evolving it into the famous match ball design used in the 2000s. It remains to be seen if Nike will utilize traditional star-shaped panels or introduce a new graphic interpretation integrated with their own ball technology.