Football’s fastest man has changed sides. On 18 September, Kylian Mbappé joined On, ending his long relationship with Nike. The Swiss company has gained more than a world-class face: it has entered the arena where boots, streetwear and luxury fashion compete for the same attention.
A deal bigger than footwear
Reuters reports that On’s first football boots are due in 2027, while Thierry Henry is serving as the company’s director of football. Mbappé is not being placed at the end of a finished product line as a campaign face; the partnership opens an entirely new category.
On turned running shoes and technical apparel into a premium lifestyle proposition. Football moves differently: club loyalty, national identity, collector culture and street style all act at once—and Mbappé speaks all four languages.
Why it matters in Hungary
Hungarian sneaker and football audiences are watching the same convergence seen across Europe: performance footwear becomes a status object, and the tracksuit an urban uniform. If On can make a credible football product, the Nike–Adidas rivalry gains a more design-led premium challenger.
Mbappé has not simply lent his name to a campaign; he has joined the birth of a new football brand.
The decisive question in 2027 will not be whether we recognise On’s logo on the pitch, but whether we want the boot on the street as well.
Updated 19 September 2026. Source: Reuters.
