Erling Haaland has signed a deal with Nike to be its shoe manufacturer for the rest of his career.
The extraordinary contract of more than 10 years for the 22 year old is therefore probably the most lucrative in the history of football, although the figures involved remain confidential.
Haaland will be marketed by Nike as the center forward to succeed the iconic Brazilian striker Ronaldo who retired in 2011 and had been such an influence. The Manchester City attacker will be the “new face of number nine”, according to sources.
Haaland tweeted confirmation of the deal, with Nike facing stiff competition from Adidas and Puma as his contract expired.
Haaland joins City teammate Kevin de Bruyne and Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe on Nike’s roster, having previously worked with the American kit supplier before his deal expired in January 2022.
That led to a storm bidding war for Haaland with Nike holding talks with the player and his agent Rafaela Pimenta over a number of months over a new contract.
Haaland was keen to discuss how a footballer can explore his image rather than simply going to the highest bidder and this was paramount in his decision. Nike claims an innovative approach.
Interestingly, the partnership promises more “creative” experiences with Haaland, believed to be excited about Nike’s plans for him.
The magnitude of the commitment, on both sides, shows the level of confidence in Haaland, now that Nike is confident he will be the dominant force in world football for the next decade, alongside Mbappé. The pair appear to be the natural successors to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nike has proven in the past that it is willing to make mega deals with iconic athletes such as basketball player LeBron James and tennis star Rafael Nadal.
Haaland’s deal is likely to rival the biggest previous contracts, such as the £23 million a year Neymar would have made from Puma and the £18 million a year Messi made from Adidas, as well as the £15 million a year Ronaldo became paid for by Nike.