Adidas could not lose today, and it didn't. Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time, and both finalists played in the three stripes — one of 14 national teams Adidas dresses at the 2026 tournament, ahead of Nike's 12 and Puma's 11. Spain has now won the World Cup in Adidas colours twice, in 2010 and 2026. Argentina has worn nothing else since 2001, a partnership now locked in through 2038.
The pattern runs deeper than this final. Adidas has been champion in four of the last six World Cups — 2026, 2022, 2014 and 2010 — and had a team on the pitch in five of six; only the Nike-versus-Nike final of 2018 shut it out entirely.
Germany's national teams have worn Adidas since 1954, when West Germany lifted its first World Cup with Adidas founder Adi Dassler pitch-side — a partnership that has run more than 70 years. That chapter closes after the 2026 tournament: the German Football Association (DFB) — the federation that governs Germany's national teams, not the German government — switches to Nike from 2027 in a deal reported at roughly €100 million a year, about double Adidas' previous rate, running through 2034 and covering all German national representative teams, not only the senior men's side.
DFB leadership described Nike's offer as "by far the best economic offer," citing commitments to amateur sport and women's football development alongside the financial terms. The switch may close one of football's longest kit partnerships, but it does not change how Adidas shows up at the 2026 tournament itself — the brand still outfits more teams than any other kit supplier, including both World Cup finalists, Spain and Argentina.
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