Mbappé tore up his contract with Nike after 19 years of collaboration - what the footballer is preparing next

Kylian Mbappé is preparing for major changes off the pitch — the forward may terminate his long-standing contract with Nike. The contractual relationship with the American company could have ended as early as 31 July, and his next move will be far more surprising than just changing sponsors. Mbappé's collaboration with Nike has lasted eight years and has spanned almost his entire career.

According to French journalist Thibaut Vézirian, Mbappé may join forces with an unexpected brand that seeks to make a splash in the football market, reports beIN SPORTS. The project could even allow the French star to have his own product line and a stake in the company.

If the information is confirmed, it will mark the end of an era. In recent months, Adidas and Under Armour reportedly showed interest in signing Mbappé after his relationship with Nike ended. However, the latest reports point to a completely different scenario — the Frenchman is reportedly being offered to be the face of a new premium football-boot brand where he would not just be an ambassador, but would receive equity in the company and develop his own brand.

The idea inevitably recalls Michael Jordan's story, whose collaboration with Nike eventually turned Jordan Brand into a global empire that went far beyond basketball. Still, the project around Mbappé is currently at an early stage, and there is no official confirmation about his next sponsor.

Nike will lose one of its most valuable athletes

Losing Mbappé will be a significant blow to Nike, especially after 19 years of building ties with one of the most commercially successful footballers. The American company recently unveiled special Superfly boots 11 in honor of the forward winning the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup, where he again became one of the tournament’s main stars. Ironically, those boots could become one of the last exclusive Nike releases created for the Frenchman.

Signs that the partnership was nearing its end appeared several months ago. Le Parisien reported in March that the chances of renewing the contract were very low, while L'Équipe later noted that Nike was still prepared to make serious efforts to retain one of its biggest athletes. According to available data, Mbappé's deal with the company was estimated at roughly 14 million euros per year, another indication of his enormous commercial weight off the field.

Mbappé wants more than to be the face of a brand

At 27 years old, Mbappé is at one of the most important stages of his career — he is one of Real's top stars, captain of the French national team, and has just won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup. Now he may try to turn his huge sporting influence into his own business project.

For years, football's biggest stars have signed multimillion-dollar deals to become the faces of leading sports brands. Mbappé seems to be seeking something different — to move beyond the role of ambassador and become part of the business itself. There is no official statement yet about the player's commercial future, but if the French reports are confirmed, the split will end a relationship that began when Kylian Mbappé was only eight years old.

Football stars continue to set terms for clubs

The story of a possible split between Mbappé and Nike fits a broader trend — top footballers increasingly set the terms of cooperation themselves, rather than accepting ready-made offers from clubs or sponsors. A similar dynamic can be seen in the transfer stories of leading European teams, where players gain more leverage over their own futures.

Earlier, Informator reported that London’s Chelsea does not currently plan to part with Mykhailo Mudryk and is not considering any loan options for the Ukrainian, waiting to see his form before making a decision about the player's future at the club.

We also wrote that Lionel Messi's return to the field with Inter Miami was spoiled — the legendary Argentine failed to score again, this time in an MLS match, despite returning from a break.