Signing the world’s best player usually means a product is ready to sell him. On signed Kylian Mbappé anyway.
On announced on September 18, 2026, that Mbappé is leaving Nike to become the face of the brand’s first move into football, according to On’s own press release. Mbappé had been with Nike since 2006, when he was eight years old, according to Sportico and CNBC. Nike’s contract with him expired on July 31, 2026, and a person familiar with the matter told CNBC that Nike chose not to renew it.
On built its brand the same way once before. Roger Federer joined On as a co-owner in 2019, when the company had no tennis product, according to Sportico and CNBC.
On has not stated when its first football boot will launch. CNBC and Business Standard have reported 2027, citing people familiar with the matter, but On’s own announcement gives no date at all.
Key takeaways
- On announced on 18 September 2026 that Kylian Mbappé is leaving Nike to front its first move into football.
- Mbappé had been with Nike since 2006, aged eight. His contract expired on 31 July 2026 and Nike chose not to renew it, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.
- On has not said when its first football boot will launch. Reports of 2027 rest on secondary sourcing, not On.
- Thierry Henry is On’s Director of Football, a role he has held informally since late 2025. Sydney Schertenleib’s ambassador role now includes football.
- The deal includes cash and equity, with figures undisclosed. The equity stake is single-sourced to The Athletic via Sportico.
Henry Named Director of Football
Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and France forward, has been named On’s Director of Football, a role he has held informally since late 2025, according to On’s own release. Sydney Schertenleib, the Swiss international who joined On in December 2025 as an ambassador for training and lifestyle, now has her role expanded to include football. Co-founder David Allemann said in the release that On wants to be “the brand of the future” in football rather than another company doing more of the same.
On has confirmed the deal includes both cash and equity, without disclosing figures. The Athletic reported an equity stake for Mbappé, according to Sportico, and On did not respond to Sportico’s request for comment on the deal’s structure. The football push follows On’s LightSpray manufacturing process, a robotic method that sprays a shoe’s upper from a continuous filament, which the company introduced in 2024 and is now adapting for football, alongside CloudTec, the engineered midsole used in its running shoes.
What an Operator Does With It
A finished product earns trust slowly, and On is skipping that step, betting that Mbappé’s name buys the company time to finish the boot instead. That is a more expensive way into a category and a faster one. Football brands compete on product first. On is competing on belief before the product exists at all.
A finished product earns trust slowly, and On is skipping that step, betting that Mbappé’s name buys the company time to finish the boot instead.
If a client asked you to recommend the best football boot on the market today, On isn’t on that list yet. When does a brand’s name start mattering more than what it actually sells?