Adidas Unveils 2026-27 Match Balls Amid $45M Nike Takeover Reports

Adidas has launched neon and golden-orange 'Star Ball' designs for the 2026-27 season, potentially the last before a $45 million-a-year Nike contract begins.

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women's Champions League will feature new Adidas official match balls when the league phases commence next month. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will begin their title defenses using these bespoke templates, which follow the Finale 25 design used in the previous campaign. Reports from The Guardian and The Athletic indicate this could be the final year of the German brand's 25-year tenure, as Nike has reportedly agreed to a $45 million-a-year deal to become the official supplier starting in the 2027-28 season.

Since the introduction of the "Finale 1" ball during the 2001-02 season, Adidas has produced over 50 iterations of the star-paneled design. This total does not include the various hi-vis yellow variants utilized during winter months over the last two decades. If the transition to Nike is finalized, it would represent the first time the competition has moved away from Adidas since the 2000-01 final. In that match, Bayern Munich defeated Valencia on penalties while playing with the Nike Geo Merlin.

Neon and Golden-Orange Design Specifications

The men's version of the new match ball features a neon-spattered livery. Adidas designers stated the aesthetic draws inspiration from the colorful moments of expression players create during training sessions held on cold, foggy pitches. This visual style is intended to represent the personal flair required to achieve greatness in European competition.

For the UEFA Women's Champions League, the ball utilizes a golden-orange pattern. This specific design is modeled after the aura of the 11 stars found within the UWCL emblem. To provide visual contrast, the manufacturer added metallic purple and silver flashes to the surface. Both the men's and women's versions maintain the traditional "Star Ball" template that has defined the tournament's branding for a quarter of a century.

Potential Shift to Nike in 2027

While a formal announcement regarding the change in equipment providers is pending, the reported $45 million annual agreement with Nike would fundamentally alter the tournament's aesthetic. Because Adidas currently holds the legal rights to the star ball design, Nike will be forced to develop a new visual identity for the match ball if they take the reins next season. The current 2026-27 offerings are expected to be the final time the iconic star panels appear on the pitch under the Adidas banner.

This transition marks a significant departure from the established partnership that began in the early 2000s. The upcoming league phase will serve as the debut for these final Adidas templates, as the competition prepares for a potential shift in supplier that has not occurred since the Geo Merlin was last seen in a Champions League final 26 years ago. The new balls will be deployed across all league phase fixtures for both the men's and women's tournaments starting in September 2026.