Puma Makes Massive Statement in Football with Neymar Deal

Sponsorship strategies don’t get much bigger than this. Brazilian footballing icon Neymar has sealed a partnership with Puma following a premature end to his Nike deal.

The Paris Saint-Germain linchpin will play in special Puma King boots, while also donning the brand’s lifestyle, training, footwear and apparel products off the pitch.

The financial details of the deal have not been reported, but Neymar’s 11-year contract with Nike was reportedly worth US$105 million.

Neymar’s partnership with the US company was due to run until 2022, but it was reported that the pair chose to end the deal prematurely after failing to agree on the financial terms of a renewal.

“Neymar Jr joining our Puma family is fantastic,” said Puma chief executive Bjørn Gulden. “He is one of the best players in the world and extremely influential for the global football and youth culture. We are very excited and look forward to working with him both on and off the pitch.”

On a message across his social media accounts, Neymar mentioned how footballing legends from the past such as Pele, Maradona and Cruyff led to his decision to join Puma.

He added, “I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pele, Cruyff, Matthaus, Eusebio and Maradona. These were the kings of the pitch, the kings of my sport. I wish to bring back the legacy that those athletes created on the pitch. They each played in Puma, and each of them created their magic in the king.”

Neymar, 28, is the fourth highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes at US$95m per year and his endorsement earnings from blue-chip brands including Gillette, Mastercard, Beats Electronics, Electronic Arts, Red Bull and TCL contribute US$25m annually to this figure. 

Neymar’s legacy has been long associated with Nike since he came into the limelight as a teenage prodigy. However, Puma has been ramping up its game in major global football sponsorship deals in the past decade as it plays catch up to Adidas and Nike in the beautiful game.