Neymar Joins PUMA in Blockbuster Divorce From Nike

Never one to shy away from headlines, Brazilian superstar Neymar is back making waves after PSG’s disappointing Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich.

Renowned for his singlemindedness, Neymar has left Nike before the end of his contract to join rival sports brand PUMA. His current deal was set to expire in 2022 after 11 years and was worth more than €100m.

Oregon based brand Nike, had sponsored Neymar since he was a youngster coming through the ranks at Santos from the age of 13. Now the 15-year relationship has come to an end.

PUMA already had the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku, and Golden Boot favorite in English Premier League odds from Paddy Power, Sergio Agüero, on their books.

While Nike loses one of its most prized assets, PUMA gains a global superstar – taking their brand to another level in its aim to compete with Adidas as the sport’s biggest company. However, PUMA’s big-name signings are not a new thing for the German sportswear provider.

In the past, they have penned deals for the likes of compatriot and World Cup winner Pele, enigmatic Argentine Diego Maradona, genius Johan Cruyff and former Ballon d’Or recipient Eusébio.

Not only will Neymar join and wear the iconic PUMA KING boots on the field, but he will be integral to the brand’s lifestyle clothing and footwear campaigns.

On the signing of Neymar, CEO of PUMA Bjørn Gulden said: “Neymar Jr. joining our PUMA Family is fantastic. He is one of the best players in the world and extremely relevant for global football and youth culture. We are very excited and look forward to working with him both on and off the pitch.”

Anyone that knows a little about Neymar will not be surprised by this bold move. A player that craves the limelight with his larger than life off-field antics and on-field displays, PUMA’s audacious but timeless designs will suit Neymar’s image perfectly.

“Neymar Jr Presentation | Press Conference for PSG (04/08/2017)” by Antoine Dellenbach (CC BY-SA 2.0)

A worldwide star since he was a teenager, Neymar made the courageous decision to leave Barcelona in 2013, where he had just won the treble with Lionel Messi to join Paris Saint-Germain. This blockbuster deal is still the world-record fee for a footballer, costing €222m in a summer in which the Parisiens also added Kylian Mbappé.

Reportedly, Neymar wanted to get out from under Messi’s shadow and show the world what he could do in his own team, of course, his PSG salary of €38m (€731,000 per week) also helped.

On becoming PUMA’s football face, Neymar said: “Every time I lace my boots, my KING boots, I will do anything to achieve all of my dreams to honor my name and that of all those great ones who wore the KING before me. This will be my PUMA history. The KING is back!”