Nike is set to redesign the iconic Champions League ball after winning exclusive talks with Uefa to become the official match ball provider for the 2027 to 2031 cycle. The US sportswear giant outbid incumbent supplier Adidas and rival Puma, offering approximately $45 million per year—double Uefa's current fee.
Adidas has supplied the Champions League ball since 2001, introducing the star design that mimics the competition's logo. That design has become synonymous with European football's top tier. However, Adidas is understood to hold the rights to the star design, meaning the last match featuring the star ball will be the 2027 Champions League final, scheduled for 5 June at Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano.
Nike previously supplied Uefa's match balls between 1997 and 2001, using simpler designs with its trademark swoosh. The company will now work with UC3—the joint venture between Uefa and leading clubs that runs the Champions League—on a new design for the ball.
The tender was managed by Relevent Football Partners, which bundled the Champions League ball with those for the Europa League and Conference League for the first time. Nike won the contract for all three competitions, replacing Decathlon's Kipsta brand for the latter two.
Relevent has made significant changes since winning the commercial rights for Uefa's club competitions from 2027 to 2033. It sold the global beer partner package to AB InBev, ending Heineken's 35-year deal, and led TV rights sales that saw increases of over 20% in the five biggest European markets.
