The 2014 World Cup has turned football on its head. Just have to look at the teams that have managed to qualify for the next phase of the competition: favorites like Spain, England, Italy, and Portugal are out; long shots like Greece, Algeria, and Costa Rica are in.
A similar trend may be happening with the team’s sponsors. Nike, Adidas, Puma and are the largest sponsors of teams participating in the World Cup. Puma outfitted eight teams at the World Cup, while Adidas sponsored nine.
Surprisingly, the winner is Nike, with 10 teams. Although they have a huge presence in other sports, Nike has struggled to stake their claim in the world of football, where powerhouses like Adidas and Puma rule.
But it looks like that’s going to chance based on their presence in Brazil. The official sponsor of the Brazilian national team, Nike could – thanks to the host country and its rising star Neymar – become the new leader in the footballing world.
Reinforcing this idea is the list of teams that Nike supports: in addition to Brazil, they outfit the United States, former champions France, and last year’s runner-up Netherlands.
However, regardless of which teams take the pitch and what they’re wearing, Adidas is sure to assert its football dominance in every match be part of the match: they’re sponsoring the official World Cup game ball.
(this post courtesy of VOA’s French World Cup blog. Check it out at http://football.lavoixdelamerique.com)