France captain Kylian Mbappé has officially ended his illustrious 20-year partnership with Nike to sign a landmark boot deal with the rapidly growing Swiss athletic brand On, marking a massive seismic shift in the global football endorsement landscape. The Real Madrid and Les Bleus superstar, who has already netted over 300 career goals and secured a FIFA World Cup title in 2018 alongside a runner-up finish in 2022, will not only wear the brand's innovative footwear on the pitch but has also secured a strategic equity stake in the company as part of the groundbreaking long-term agreement.
This high-profile acquisition signals an aggressive expansion into the world of association football for On, a brand that has historically dominated the competitive running and tennis markets with backing from tennis legend Roger Federer. To spearhead this ambitious venture into the beautiful game ahead of their major product rollout next year, the Swiss company has also appointed French footballing icon Thierry Henry as their official football director. Henry, Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer with 228 goals and a Premier League Invincible, brings unmatched tactical expertise and global market influence to help establish On as a legitimate heavyweight competitor against traditional giants like Nike and Adidas.
Mbappé’s transition to the Zurich-headquartered brand comes during a transitional domestic season with Real Madrid following his high-profile transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, where he accumulated 256 goals to become the French club's all-time leading scorer. As the 25-year-old forward prepares to debut his new custom On boots in upcoming UEFA Champions League fixtures and La Liga matches, industry analysts will closely monitor whether this challenger brand can successfully disrupt a multi-billion-dollar football equipment market historically dominated by a strict duopoly, potentially altering how elite athletes negotiate ownership stakes rather than traditional endorsement retainers.
