Kylian Mbappé Signs Landmark Deal with On Holding

Kylian Mbappé has drawn a bold line under almost 20 years with Nike, walking away from the American giant to sign a landmark deal with Swiss brand On Holding as it steps into professional football.

The Real Madrid forward had worn the Swoosh since he was eight. He grew from academy prodigy to global superstar under Nike’s banner, sharing top billing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Vinícius Júnior and fronting the famous Mercurial line as one of the company’s most powerful marketing faces.

That era is over.

Mbappé’s contract with Nike expired on July 31, but the relationship lingered in the public eye. He still appeared in Nike campaigns, his image and name still threaded through the brand’s commercial output. Speculation around his next move built with every advert and every social post that kept him in Nike colours.

Now the wait is finished. The French captain has confirmed a new partnership with On, a company that made its name in running and is now pushing hard into other elite sports.

“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow's game,” Mbappé said in the official announcement. “I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create, push what's possible through innovation, and always stay true to the joy of football. We have a shared dream, and this is only the beginning.”

On has followed this path before. In 2019, it brought in Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer as an investor and strategic partner. Federer left his own long-standing Nike deal, then helped shape On’s tennis direction and launched a signature product line under the brand’s banner. Mbappé now steps into a similar role, but with football as the frontier.

Nike’s backing had been constant through his rise: from his early academy days, through his explosion at Monaco, his superstardom at Paris Saint-Germain, and now his move to Madrid. Along the way he joined the rare group of players granted their own exclusive boot editions, his name etched onto designs usually reserved for the likes of Ronaldo.

Cutting ties after nearly two decades closes one of the defining relationships in modern football marketing. It also hands Mbappé something new: real influence over a brand’s first serious move into the sport he dominates.

On’s football collection is still to come. When it lands, Mbappé won’t just be wearing it. He’ll have helped design it.