Nike suffered a big setback as they’ve reportedly lost out on the opportunity of a long-term kit deal with Al Nassr against rival Adidas. This is despite their lifetime partnership with the Saudi club’s main man, Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, after losing the Riyadh-based club, Nike could lose another major club by the name of Barcelona to a renowned $5.3 billion American footwear and apparel brand.

The La Liga giants continue to have some problems with the Financial Fair Play rules. It isn’t surprising that a possibly more lucrative kit sponsorship deal is on the horizon.

Is Nike in troubled waters with Barcelona?

According to Sport, there is tension between Barcelona and Nike. This is regarding their kit deal which was renewed in 2016. At the moment, they pay the La Liga club reportedly in the range of $120 million per year till 2026. However, Joan Laporta now feels that the deal is below the market price. Now, Barcelona wants to renegotiate an improved deal which brings America’s New Balance into the picture.

New Balance has looked at the option of investing in Barcelona in the recent few months. However, Nike is confident as they have a contract till 2026. New Balance has made significant investments in soccer, leading to this potential deal. The brand has partnerships with Portuguese giants Porto and Ligue 1’s Lille. Real Madrid’s future star Endrick has also signed a deal with them.

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Despite the protection of a long contract, Nike will strive to continue with Joan Laporta’s team. It surely will be a major blow to lose Al Nassr and Barcelona, practically in the same season. Reportedly, the club has also shown dissatisfaction with the brand for some ‘service issues’. That raises the question, what exactly happened between Nike and CR7’s current employer? Let’s dive deeper.

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What’s going on between Al Nassr and Nike?

At the start of this season, Al Nassr decided to pursue a new kit deal to replace Saudi brand Duneus. Both Nike and Adidas showed interest. However, Nike managed to win the race and strike a one-year deal with the club. Days ago, in a shocking revelation, Adidas reportedly managed to pen a sponsorship deal with the Saudi giants till 2027, effective from the start of next season. This happened despite the lifetime deal of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nike worth 1 billion.

Interestingly, in the pre-season game against Celta Vigo, Cristiano Ronaldo wore shin pads with the Adidas logo. Cristiano Ronaldo is a Nike-sponsored athlete for the last 20 years. This did not go down well with Nike as the deal does not allow the Al Nassr star to wear other brands’ products during the match.

What are your thoughts on Nike potentially losing the partnership with Al Nassr and Barcelona? Let us know in the comments below.

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