Kylian Mbappé leaves Nike and signs with On in major sportswear switch

Kylian Mbappé has ended his long-standing partnership with Nike and signed with Swiss sportswear brand On, marking the company’s move into football.

The Real Madrid forward had been sponsored by Nike since childhood and regularly wore the brand’s Mercurial boots. He will now become a global ambassador for On and work directly with the company’s product teams as it develops its first football products.

Mbappé joins On’s football project

On, which was founded in Switzerland in 2010 as a running-shoe company, has expanded into several sports in recent years. Tennis great Roger Federer became a co-owner of the company in 2019.

The brand is now entering football with Mbappé as one of its key figures. Former France, Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has also joined On as its director of football.

Mbappé said the partnership would allow him to contribute directly to the development of new football products.

“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game.”

He added that he wanted to bring his experience into the process and “push what’s possible through innovation”.

‘Football needs new ideas’

On co-founder and co-CEO David Allemann said the company did not want to simply replicate existing football brands.

“Football doesn’t need another sportswear brand to do more of the same,” Allemann said. “Football needs new ideas and a challenge to what is possible.”

Henry said On’s approach would involve listening to players and understanding what they need before developing products for the sport.

The company’s football project will also involve Sydney Schertenleib, who has worked with On since 2025 and will now contribute to product development and testing.

Mbappé follows Yamal in leaving Nike

Mbappé’s switch comes after another high-profile change in the football boot market.

Lamine Yamal recently left Nike to sign with Adidas, meaning two of the game’s prominent young stars have moved away from the American sportswear giant.

For Mbappé, the move also represents a new stage in his commercial career, with the France international set to help shape On’s entry into football rather than simply becoming one of its sponsored players.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Mbappé described the partnership as another step in a long-standing dream of football and innovation.

“Dreams that refuse to change,” he wrote, “are usually the ones that change everything.”