Behind the final between Argentina and France there is another all-or-nothing match. The two global sportswear giants, Adidas (sponsor of the national team) and Nike (official sponsor of the French team) They define a World Cup again after 12 years. The last time was in 2010, when Spain and Adidas faced the Netherlands and Nike. Brazil 2014 (Germany and Argentina) was monopolized by Adidas and in Russia 2018 (France and Croatia), by Nike. but this Sunday there are other classics and rivalries in items like hamburgers (McDonald’s vs. Mustard and Hard Rock Cafe), beers (Budweiser and Schneider), and credit cards (Visa and Mastercard).
The irresistible magnet for Qatar 2022 is Messi. Rosario’s magic doesn’t end in football: again this year the AFA hasn’t stopped billing thanks to him. This year, the Selection obtained 35 sponsorships, which allowed it to raise approximately 50 million dollarsabsolute record. This is without counting the 30 million dollars of floor that the contract with Adidas brings backplus royalties from global sales of at least 2 million T-shirts, as calculated in the entity. Messi’s tickets sold out worldwide last week.
The first sponsorship of the Argentina national team was for the 1974 World Cup. That year, the AFA raised US$35,000 nothing more from Adidas, the brand that accompanied the albiceleste in almost all the World Cups, except for the 1986 one, when the team led by Maradona became champions with the garments supplied by the French Le Coq Sportif. But in 1974 it happened a curious conflict between Johan Cruyff and Adidas, which was an official sponsor of the Netherlands. The player tore one of the three strips off his shirt (he played like that throughout the tournament) because the club refused to pay him separately.
This year the most striking thing is the landing of the AFA in China, which has a market of 1,300 million consumers. In these months, 8 Chinese companies have signed a contract for a total of 8 million dollars be able to use the official logo of the team and images of the players. The list includes Wanda Investment Group, Yili Group (one of the world’s 5 largest dairy companies), Pan Pan Foods (snacks and beverages), GAC Mitsubishi (automaker) and W88 (gambling company) and China NetEase Media.
Mbappé’s French team is Nike’s main asset in football. The pipe brand has a contract running through 2026 for $53 million a yearor, a figure equivalent to that of Adidas with Germany, eliminated in the first round for the second time in a row. Nike ventured into soccer in the 98 World Cup. But in Qatar it is the one with the most selections: 13 in total, including France, Brazil, the Netherlands, the United States and Portugal. Adidas signed 7 (Argentina, Spain and Germany) and supplies the official match balls and referee clothing. Cougar recruited 5 and the remaining teams were split between Le Coq Sportif, Marathon, Merooj, Hummel, Kappa and New Balance.
Loot is a private affair of the players. In some cases there is a coincidence, as in the case of Messi (wears and wears Adidas) and Mbappé (the same but with Nike). Rodrigo de Paul Angel Di María and Paulo Dybala, among others, play for the brand with the three stripes while Lautaro Martínez, Leandro Paredes and Nicolás Otamendi, for Nike. Puma, for its part, has a contract only with French players: Giroud, Griezmann, Varane, Coman and Mandanda.
There are other clubs that have beaten the final, both as sponsors of FIFA and the AFA. And there are several curious crossings, among which the virtual “comparison” stands out between the two most important brewing groups in the world: Ab Inbev (Quilmes and Budweiser) and the Chilean group CCU (Schneider). From CCU they explain that sales have rebounded especially since the World Cup promos were launched, about 45 days before the start. Due to carelessness, a commercial including the phrase “what are you looking at, stupid”that “it was for internal use, but it came in very handy,” they say now.
In the fast food sector, the shares of McDonald’s, the national Mostaza and the Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) stand out, with Messi as a global brand ambassador. McDonald’s launched regionally 3 specific burgers before the start of the World Cup: the McArgentina, with chimichurri sauce; the McFrance, with Dijon mustard; and the McJapón with teriyaki sauce. As for the Panini t-shirts and figurines, the demand exceeded all expectations. “We’ve been sold out for 10 days”, surprises Victoria Fernández Acuña, its marketing manager. The executive clarifies that the choice of countries was prior to the tournament. “The thing about Argentina and France is a coincidence,” she says.
On the side of Mostaza, the country’s second largest chain and sponsor of the AFA, opted for the image of “Dibu” Martínez, present in all its stores, as well as for the special “Mega Dibu” menu, an XL hamburger that the goalkeeper promotes it with the phrase that made it popular in the last Copa América: “Look how I eat you.”
Globally, the HRC franchise has launched the “Messi Burger”, an American-style hamburger whose ingredients were chosen by Leo. The restaurant chain’s new flagship dish has two versions (double and triple), which are served on a brioche bun and completed with sliced provolone chorizo, caramelized red onion, lettuce, tomato and smoked salsa. The Hard Rock Cafe also offers “tracked” t-shirts and sweatshirts with the number 10 and the legend “Messi” in its merchandising stores.
Source: Clarin
