Nike tops World Cup outfitting battle with 13 sponsored teams

Nike will outfit 13 of 32 participating countries at the FIFA World Cup that kicks off in Qatar this weekend, the most by any sportswear sponsor at this year’s tournament, outperforming Adidas AG.

This is only the third time Nike had more than Adidas, which will outfit seven nations.

Puma is outfitting six.

It is also the biggest gap Nike has ever held over its longtime rival.

Nike closed deals with the host nation, the US, Brazil, England, Portugal, and France.

While nine different companies are sponsoring World Cup jerseys this year, 81 percent of teams will be wearing one of three brands.

Other outfitters include Hummel, Kappa, Majid, Marathon, New Balance, and One All Sports.

An Adidas spokesperson said their company benefits from the prestige of the teams playing in their jerseys, which include four among the top favorites for the title: Argentina, Spain, Belgium, and Germany.

Six of the seven nations playing in Adidas kits are among the world’s top 20 teams.

Meanwhile, Nike sponsors seven of the top 20 teams, including Brazil, which has won the most World Cup titles and is favored by oddsmakers to win again this year.

At the peak of its dominance at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Adidas outfitted nearly two-thirds of the teams.