Football at the highest level is an industry dominated by Adidas and Nike, with the two powerhouses sponsoring 25 of the 30 players nominated for the men’s 2024 Ballon d’Or, awarded to the world’s best player. Tune in to a weekend Premier League game and you’ll likely see a field of players sporting the latest Predator or Mercurial boots.

In this landscape, challenger brands need to employ tactical thinking at every level. Whilst superpowers can spread their bets, brands such as New Balance cherry-pick which athletes they endorse, ensuring they are dynamic, attacking and entertaining on the pitch, whilst aligning with the brand’s off-pitch ethos. With a roster including Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jordyn Huitema among others, the Boston-based brand recently welcomed Brazilian teenage sensation Endrick. The endorsement was a PR moment that attracted worldwide attention. As the brand bets on the future to steal a march on its rivals, Endrick’s subsequent instant impact at Real Madrid suggests that gamble might just pay off.

Skechers announced their shock entry into football in 2023. The brand shook up the industry with their lifetime ambassador announcement of England and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane. Looking ahead to the US World Cup 2026, Skechers is banking on its marquee signing to increase market share, supported by tactical product launches including a special SKX-01 boot for Kane to celebrate the 23-24 European top scorer, with 36 limited-edition pairs sold worldwide to honour the 36 goals Kane scored in the 23-24 season.

Scoring brand awareness with authenticity

Whilst superstar players scoring in boots at the World Cup or in the Champions League can have an impact on brand awareness, collaborations that celebrate the intrinsic link between football and fashion are used to cut through to fans. New Balance worked with Stone Island to release a limited-edition football and lifestyle collection including a Furon boot, football kit and 574 trainers, unveiled by Raheem Sterling at the 2022 World Cup, which saw the esteemed Italian brand, synonymous with football terrace culture, make its first foray on to the pitch. Sterling proceeded to score with the outside of his boot, with the ball kissing the Stone Island logo, with fans and media covering his eagerness to ‘Get The Badge In’.

Collaborations stand up and make fans take notice but tapping into football fandom requires authentic global grassroots engagement, closing the gap between the friends who play 5-a-side and the stars they watch on a weekend. To further amplify a New Balance women’s football community event in Berlin that brought together grassroots teams from across Europe, we brokered a media partnership with Hypebae, a title dedicated to showcasing today's leading female creatives, hosting and overseeing interviews and content capture with members of women’s and non-binary team Goaldiggers FC, ensuring the story reached new audiences outside of the local region. More recently, Gung Ho supported on the PR strategy and activation for the Santan Cup hosted by UK rapper Dave, a culturally relevant tournament that links the worlds of football, music, fashion and more.

Equally important is building a network that serve as true ambassadors of the brand, based on a natural affinity that feels authentic to their audience. Rather than one-off partnerships that see a brand logo appear on timelines with #AD, plastered alongside market competitors, nurturing relationships and immersing creators within the brand is crucial. Whether identifying bespoke fashion and football profiles to amplify the launch of New Balance x Aimé Leon Dore’s limited-edition Bukayo Saka boot or hosting key global media and creators at FC Porto’s UEFA Champions League matches, building a credible network is imperative to building a legacy.

Challenger brands will always face an uphill battle to displace market leaders in a sector as saturated as football. Despite this, the strides made by challenger brands in a category such as running has seen brands like On, HOKA and New Balance close the gap to the top table. Employing innovative tactics effectively across elite player partnerships, unique collaborations, building ambassador networks and authentic grassroots community engagement, whilst communicating effectively, can help shift football’s hierarchy in the future.