When It Comes To International Football, Is Nike’s Corporate Dominance Starting To Show?

When the teams stepped out onto the pitch ahead of the Euro 2016 final, they shared something fundamental in common. Though it might have escaped notice, the same could be said of the vast majority of people in the stands. Whether they were there to support France or give their backing to Portugal, almost everyone in the Stade de France was sporting a single, unified logo. On thousands upon thousands of shirts that night, there was the bold, white emblem of the Nike tick.

When it comes to this summer's European Championships, Nike won big. The world's most valuable sports brand, estimated at an unprecedented $26billion by Forbes last year, sponsored six teams at Euro 2016. Two of those reached the final, while three of the remaining four – England, Poland and Croatia – reached the knockout rounds. Of all the Nike-sponsored teams, only Turkey missed out on the latter stages of the tournament.

Considering that the final alone drew an estimated audience of 300 million, Nike's marketing strategy for the Euros seems frighteningly prescient. According to the company's number crunchers, the success of their branding doesn't end there. Over 60% of those who played at Euro 2016 wore Nike boots, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who has a ridiculously lucrative personal sponsorship deal with the company. Around half of the goals scored at the tournament came off Nike-ticked toes, including the strike which won the competition, courtesy of Eder.

If Nike disproportionately dominated the Euros, they also bossed the summer's other major international competition. Chile won the Copa América Centenario in early July, meaning that Nike have achieved a clean sweep of international champions this year. Argentina, meanwhile, are sponsored by Adidas. Having lost the Copa América final on penalties, the collective misery was further compounded by the news of Lionel Messi's international retirement. If that was bad news for La Albiceleste, imagine the reaction in Adidas' marketing department.

While their direct rivals look set to go without their flagship international player, Nike seem to have taken lead role on the world stage. With their hegemony over both Euro 2016 and the Copa América, the combined value of their shirt sales over the past month is beyond imagining. They hedged their bets this summer, and the gamble paid off in spectacular fashion. When it comes to Forbes' next valuation, Nike's decisions on international sponsorship could be massively significant in keeping them top of the pile.

Things haven't always been this way, of course. The finals of both Euro 2008 and the 2014 World Cup were all-Adidas affairs, while the culmination of Euro 2012 saw an Adidas-sponsored Spain take on a Puma-branded Italy. Nike were in need of a win this summer, having missed out on a series of major international showpieces. They certainly delivered, and if they maintain their newfound knack for picking winners at Russia 2018 their corporate dominance will continue to show.