The official match ball used in the UEFA Champions League could soon change for the first time in more than two decades, as UEFA prepares to open a competitive tender for the rights.
Sportswear giant Adidas has produced the Champions League ball since 2001, when it took over the contract from rival Nike. However, UEFA is now seeking to maximize commercial revenue by opening the category to a competitive bidding process.
The tender will be launched by UC3 and Relevent Sports Group, with the winning supplier set to take over from the 2027–28 season.
Rival Brands Show Interest
Sources close to the process say Adidas intends to defend its long-standing position, but interest is also emerging from Nike and Puma, raising the prospect of a major shift in one of football’s most visible sponsorship assets.
Currently, Adidas also supplies the official balls for major international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.
Meanwhile, French sporting goods retailer Decathlon has supplied the official balls for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League since 2024. Those agreements also expire after the 2026–27 season, meaning UEFA could bundle all three competitions into a single contract or negotiate separate deals.
Major Commercial Opportunity
According to UEFA’s financial report, the Champions League reached a global audience of around 1.18 billion viewers in the 2024–25 season, making it the most-watched club football competition worldwide.
Across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, brands would receive visibility across 531 matches per season, creating a highly valuable marketing platform.
Puma’s Growing Ball Strategy
In recent years, Puma has aggressively expanded its presence in the match-ball market. The German brand recently became the official ball supplier for the Premier League, ending Nike’s two-decade run. Puma also supplies the match balls for Serie A and La Liga.
The company also replaced Nike as the ball supplier for the Copa América in 2024.
Industry executives see the match ball as a powerful branding tool because it appears in every moment of the game.
“The ball is the object of desire for fans and players,†a Puma executive previously said. “It allows a brand to be present in every single match.â€
With multiple global sportswear brands expected to compete, the upcoming tender could mark one of the most significant sponsorship shifts in European football in decades.