Adidas forecasts €1.5B in World Cup sales after all-Adidas final

Adidas emerged as the decisive commercial winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after both finalists — Spain and Argentina — wore its kits in Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain won 1-0 in extra time.

The German sportswear company now expects event-related sales of around €1.5 billion, well above its previous guidance of more than €1 billion in World Cup-tied revenue, CEO Bjørn Gulden told Bloomberg News on Saturday.investing+1

"Seeing two teams — and the referees — in three stripes in the final is more than we could have wished for," Gulden said.investing

Adidas Dominance by the Numbers

Adidas sold four times as many jerseys and twice as many match balls as it did during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the company said. Among the 14 national teams wearing Adidas kits, Mexico's jersey was the top seller, narrowly ahead of Argentina, while Spain also generated strong sales.investing

Bloomberg's "Alternative World Cup," which tracked the commercial performance of the three major sportswear brands — Nike ↘ 0.41%, Adidas, and Puma — throughout the tournament, showed Nike holding the lead at the halfway mark. But by the time the competition concluded on Sunday, Adidas had taken over decisively.investing

Data from M Science showed that spending on Adidas apparel surged 70% in May compared to the previous year, with visits to Adidas's U.S. stores rising 47% during the first week of the tournament compared to 2026 averages.reuters+1

A Missed Opportunity for Nike

The outcome was a clear setback for Nike, which has been working to reverse a broader slump in its business. The company sponsors France and England, both of which entered the tournament as favorites but were eliminated in the semifinals.youtube+1

France's semifinal exit also cost the French Football Federation a performance bonus from Nike. According to French sports daily L'Équipe, the contract between the FFF and Nike stipulated a €1 million bonus for reaching the final and €3 million for winning the tournament.tribuna+2

Adidas's stock had already risen 6% after the all-Adidas final was confirmed, building on a strong year that saw the company report 14% sales growth in the first quarter to €6.6 billion. Bloomberg Intelligence had estimated Adidas could achieve approximately $1.4 billion in tournament-related sales — a figure now exceeded by Gulden's updated forecast.forbes+3