Mbappé’s move to On is about influence and ownership

French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé made headlines Friday, not on the pitch but in the sportswear industry.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward announced a partnership with Swiss sportswear company On. Mbappé will wear, lead, and co-curate On’s first foray into soccer cleats and apparel.

Much was made of Mbappé leaving Nike, the world’s largest sportswear company, for a brand that hasn’t before touched his sport. More remarkably, he did so in his prime.

Despite the Swoosh’s public stock struggles, the long-rumored relocation — ending a nearly 20-year partnership — still landed as somewhat of a shock. World-class athletes rarely leave their juggernaut sponsors when their best days are supposedly still ahead.

Mbappé’s move highlights the growing value some elite athletes place on impact, ownership, and creative input. For stars with global reach, building alongside a growing brand can be as appealing as endorsing an established one.

“Mbappé has a bigger following than almost all the teams he’s played for, and he’s played for the biggest teams in the world,” SportsVerse founder Daniel-Yaw Miller told Andscape. “He’s a great example of when an athlete figures out the actual agency they have.”

Miller, who first reported in August that an Mbappé move to On was possible, understands the numbers and nuance better than most.

Mbappé claims 136 million Instagram followers, nearly double that of the French national team and his old club, Paris Saint-Germain, combined.

While Mbappe now plays for powerhouse Real Madrid, a 124-year-old institution with 181 million Instagram followers, his new On partnership is defined less by large numbers but rather by small ones.

“The real benefit On has in recruiting is that at Nike or Adidas, even a top guy like Mbappé will be one in a stable of athletes,” Miller said. “But if you’re an athlete that On picks, they understand the people that should be informing product decisions.”

Across categories at On, this notion proves true. Since its 2010 founding in Zurich, the Swiss sportswear company has been selective and intentional in bringing on talent to not only lead new product but position the brand in new sports.

In 2019, Roger Federer joined On as a co-entrepreneur, taking equity in the company and helping guide its growing tennis business.

Federer’s move came after he had left Nike and signed a $300 million apparel deal with Uniqlo, opening the door to a new footwear partnership. At On, he gained the opportunity to help guide product and strategy rather than simply be attached to it.

Mbappé arrives with a similar opportunity. According to The Athletic, the Real Madrid star’s deal includes equity, allowing him to shape On’s football ambitions while remaining in his prime.

“What drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” Mbappé said in a brand statement. “I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create.”

Having input and equity at On positions Mbappé in rarefied air seldom seen for athletes of his age or background.

“On is giving him a seat at the table,” Hassan Bhuiyan, host of the My First Kicks Podcast, told Andscape. “Mbappé is doing a whole division and getting a legit piece of the pie.”

Over his two decades with Nike, Mbappé fronted massive global campaigns. As his star rose, so did the price for his talents on the pitch. Forbes reported Mbappé made $70 million in on-field earnings in 2026 alone.

The sky-high salaries Mbappé and the world’s top athletes receive today have tipped the scales on the relative value of an endorsement deal. To the elite, six-, seven-, or even eight-figure sponsorships may not outweigh product impact and brand ownership.

“The athlete can say, ‘I’m not just a figurehead and a face; I’m actually co-creating,’” Miller said. “That sense of agency is something modern athletes really look for, and it helps their personal brand stand out.”

Mbappé’s arrival fits into a broader strategy at On: pairing category expansion with influential talent that can help shape both product and culture.

In recent years, the European company has partnered with Ben Shelton, Zendaya, and FKA twigs as its annual revenue grew from $300 million in 2019 to $3.9 billion in 2025.

“They don’t distinguish between an athlete ambassador and celebrity ambassador,” Miller said. “If you’re being paid a check by On, it’s more than being a nice face or getting people in stores. It’s a partnership where you sit down and co-create.”

Miller cites the path Federer forged by being committed to regular trips to On’s lab in Zurich to co-create product. He notes Zendaya was able to bring stylist Law Roach into the fold for campaigns when working on her since her sold-out debut.

“On likes to get in the lab [with talent] to sit down and create until it’s perfect,” Miller said. “If you can make the world’s greatest tennis player come into your office to help co-create products, then you have a good chance at convincing others to do the same exercise.”

Mbappé and recent signee Sydney Schertenleib, a 19-year-old Swiss soccer star, are the latest superstars to join the Swiss company. They will follow in Federer’s footsteps, but alongside their young peers.

Already, On has moved fast, placing a cleat prototype on Mbappé’s feet within 48 hours of the partnership announcement. 

This was partly thanks to Thierry Henry. On covertly brought in the French soccer legend in late 2025, waiting until the Mbappé announcement to reveal his role as the brand’s director of soccer.

Having a head start with Henry will help On and Mbappé realize product sooner than the market typically allows, but there are still significant barriers to entry and success.

“The soccer cleat industry is probably the hardest, least profitable, most competitive market to enter,” Miller said. “Nike, Adidas, and PUMA to an extent run it, so it’s hard to launch in soccer cleats because of the technical, specialized requirements.”

According to The Athletic, an On cleat won’t arrive at retail until 2027. Over the weekend, Mbappé played for Real Madrid in all-white Nike cleats.

Mbappé’s status and the intrigue surrounding On are already magnets for attention before an official cleat ever releases. Cameras will flash and chatter will grow each time Mbappé debuts a new prototype before his first On cleat reaches retail shelves.

“To open up a new division and get the youngest star is the biggest momentum shifter,” An said. “If he starts winning in these cleats, it changes the conversation.”

Whether it changes the market remains to be seen. But Mbappé’s move has sharpened the conversation around what elite athletes value most: money, exposure or influence.

The rise of challenger footwear brands and athlete-led partnerships is adding a new dimension to an industry already in flux.

“What we’re seeing right now is the shifting of talent,” An said. “We see big brands tapping into smaller creatives, but we’re seeing ‘small’ brands tap into bigger, influential people.”

Thus far, Mbappé is the biggest, most popular athlete to take his talents to uncharted territory at the peak of his powers. For the world’s biggest stars, agency and equity are becoming increasingly important considerations alongside traditional endorsement deals.

“Stepping out is an increasingly popular move for athletes who understand their cultural bargaining power,” Miller said.