Major Coup: On Snaps Up Mbappé from Nike
By Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
Swiss sportswear brand On announces its entry into football by gaining French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé as brand ambassador. A strategic step that marks the beginning of the brand’s journey into the world’s biggest sport. Mbappé has therefore terminated his existing sponsorship contract with Nike “to support On in the development of footwear and clothing using its in-house LightSpray manufacturing technology.”
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Real Madrid striker and World Cup record goal scorerKylian Mbappé. Photo: Juergen Teller © ON
In parallel, Thierry Henry, who has been working behind the scenes with the brand on every aspect of its entry and product approach since late 2025, has been announced as Director of Football.
Since launching in 2010, On has emerged as a challenger to one of the world’s leading sportswear brands by rethinking performance and applying Swiss engineering. Product concepts such as LightSpray™ and CloudTec® stand for athlete insight and distinctive design in the sportswear market.
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Thierry Henry nominated Director of Football. Photo On
With the announcement of the strategic move, the Swiss brand aims to bring a fresh perspective to soccer – “football” as per the terminology in the ROW (Rest Of World) – expressing that “the game is more beautiful when you can focus on the simple joy of play, enhanced through product innovation and meaningful connections with communities around the world.”
The appointment of the 27-year-old striker with Spain’s Real Madrid Football Club and World Cup record goal scorer as a global brand ambassador and partner for product development marks the Swiss sportswear manufacturer’s official entry into the global football market. On is now applying its product development success formula to soccer: working closely with a highly selective line-up of elite players to rethink products for the demands of the game while bringing a new energy to the culture that surrounds it. Shares in On Holding AG, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ONON), immediately rose by 5.6 percent in pre-market trading. On’s strategic move can surely be seen as a direct challenge to the long-standing dominance of Nike Inc (NYSE: NKE) and Adidas AG (OTC: ADDYY).
The appointment of the 27-year-old striker with Spain’s Real Madrid Football Club and World Cup record goal scorer as a global brand ambassador and partner for product development marks the Swiss sportswear manufacturer’s official entry into the global football market. On is now applying its product development success formula to soccer: working closely with a highly selective line-up of elite players to rethink products for the demands of the game while bringing a new energy to the culture that surrounds it. Shares in On Holding AG, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ONON), immediately rose by 5.6 percent in pre-market trading. On’s strategic move can surely be seen as a direct challenge to the long-standing dominance of Nike Inc (NYSE: NKE) and Adidas AG (OTC: ADDYY).