Football Australia and Nike are excited to announce a ten-year contract extension that will push their long-standing partnership into an impressive third decade, the longest of Nike’s federation and club partnerships in Australia.
The partnership will extend to a historic third decade and signals significant investment into the future of Australia’s national teams, Football Australia, and football at every level
The extended partnership reinforces Nike's unwavering commitment to Australian football, and signals both organisations’ continued commitment to both female and male teams equally, at all levels of the game.
It not only supports Australia’s elite national teams but also sees a committed investment in Football Australia’s thriving grassroots participation, inclusivity programs, and its Legacy '23 strategy.
Football Australia’s Legacy ’23 initiative harnesses the growth of women’s football to deliver enduring benefits for Australia’s largest community sport beyond 2023, including becoming the first community sport to reach gender parity in participation. Nike is proud that a portion of its partnership investment will be specifically allocated to this initiative to ensure the momentum surrounding the game during this year’s major tournament extends into an everlasting legacy.
"This is a pivotal moment for Australian football. This extended partnership with Nike not only solidifies their commitment to our national teams, but it also provides significant resources for the growth of grassroots football, our ambitious Legacy ’23 plan and the strategic building of our national iconic brands," said James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia.
Nike will continue to be the official apparel partner for all Australian national teams, including the Subway Socceroos, CommBank Matildas, Junior, and Youth men's and women's squads, as well as the CommBank Pararoos, and CommBank ParaMatildas.
"Our partnership with Nike has been transformative, and this extension represents a strong endorsement for Football Australia and the growth of football at all levels across the nation," Johnson continued. "We are proud to be part of Nike's Global Football strategy, and this partnership extension signifies the strength and continued elevation of Australian football on the international stage."
Nike Pacific Vice President and General Manager, Ashley Reade, said: “In the past two decades we’ve seen football in Australia grow to incredible heights and this year achieve sold out stadiums and record-breaking jersey sales. Nike is incredibly proud of the partnership with Football Australia to drive these outcomes.
This year’s major tournament was a generational tipping point and, on every level, Nike continues to find ways to innovate, inspire and enable the future of athletes through football. This announcement represents our local commitment to the world game, to foster even stronger opportunities for gender equity from grassroots to the elite game. We believe in the vision of Football Australia and look forward to playing our part in the sport's continued growth.”
Steph Catley, Nike athlete and vice-captain of the CommBank Matildas, added: "Not only does Nike's innovative high-performance gear allow us to perform our best on the field, but their unwavering commitment to build the game, invest in us as athletes and broaden access for the next generation of players and fans plays a pivotal role in driving the sport forward. We are thrilled to continue working with them and look forward to the exciting journey ahead."
Football Australia and Nike look forward to the decade ahead, empowering players from grassroots to the global stage, and inspiring the next generation of Australian footballers.