Champions League to DITCH star ball design, in biggest brand shift for decades

The iconic star design of the Champions League ball is set to be redesigned next year after Adidas reportedly lost the rights to supply the official match ball after next season.

The current ball features an instantly recognisable star design and has been produced in a variety of colours since it was introduced in 2001, making it a key part of the competition’s visual history over the past two-and-a-half decades.

But after a match ball tender was put out on behalf of UC3 by Relevent Football Partners, Adidas have reportedly come up short against one of their key rivals.

Nike set to supply Champions League balls

According to the Financial Times, Nike is now in exclusive discussions following the tender, which also included the Europa League and Conference League for the first time and will supply balls for the three competitions for the 2027 to 2031 cycle.

Adidas had held the contract since 2001, when they introduced the iconic Finale ball which featured a star design that matched the Champions League logo.

The German company is believed to hold the rights to this design, which means a new look will be coming to the competition in 2027.

The final match featuring the Finale ball is set to be the 2027 Champions League final which will be played in Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, with Nike then taking over with a new design which they will work on with UC3, the joint venture between leading Champions League clubs and UEFA.

Nike was previously UEFA’s match ball supplier between 1997 and 2001, with their balls featuring a simpler design which featured their trademark Swoosh.

The Europa League and Conference League match balls, which will also be provided by Nike, are currently supplied by French sports retailer Decathlon, using the brand name Kipsta.

The value of the deal is expected to be far higher than the previous arrangement, with Yahoo reporting that it may double to more than €40million annually.

It also sees Nike land a major deal after they were replaced by Puma as the official match ball supplier for the Premier League this season.

Addias, meanwhile, are also seeing another key deal end, as their long-standing partnership with the German national team is set to end following the release of their World Cup 2026 shirt which was releaed last year.