On, the Zurich-based sportswear brand backed by Roger Federer, announced on Friday that France captain Kylian Mbappe has signed with the company, ending a partnership with Nike that dated back to the start of his career.
The Swiss brand called the deal its “entry into football,” framing the signing as the start of its push into the world’s most popular sport. On plans to launch its first football boots next year and has appointed 1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry as its football director.
“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” Mbappe said. The value of his contract was not part of the company’s announcement.
The move is a setback for Nike, the world’s largest sportswear company, which had been tied to the Real Madrid forward since 2006 and built him into its foremost football ambassador, succeeding Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappe is the 2018 World Cup winner and the tournament’s all-time leading scorer in its history, with 22 goals.
Founded in 2010, On had focused on running and tennis footwear before this deal. Tennis great Federer, one of the brand’s shareholders, also left Nike late in his playing career to join the company.
His exit follows that of Lamine Yamal, who swapped Nike for Adidas in 2024. Nike still holds several of football’s biggest names under contract, including Norway striker Erling Haaland and Brazil forward Vinicius Junior.