Adidas had an unusual advantage when it tried to sign Lamine Yamal away from Nike. It reportedly brought in the player he had admired since childhood to help make its case.
According to a report citing The Athletic, Lionel Messi played an important role in persuading Yamal to leave Nike during negotiations in autumn 2023. The Argentine did not offer money or negotiate the deal. Instead, he sent the Barcelona youngster a personal video message.
The story first appeared in The Athletic in January 2025, but Messi's involvement is only part of the story. Adidas has spent the time since then building Yamal into one of the most recognisable young faces in its football business.
The reported €32 million deal was a significant commitment. The question now is what the brand has gained from it.
How Lionel Messi helped Adidas convince Lamine Yamal
Adidas rented a large office space in Barcelona and brought several senior executives to meet Yamal and his representatives. A laptop and a large screen were set up for the presentation, but the most memorable part came when the meeting began.
One of the Adidas representatives played a video featuring Messi.
"Hello, Lamine, it's Lionel Messi," the Argentine reportedly said.
According to The Athletic's account, Messi told the teenager that Adidas would be delighted to have him as part of the brand. The report described the negotiations as "a cold and silent battle between the two giants".
Nike also made an effort to keep Yamal. The company arranged a personal message from Kylian Mbappe, one of its biggest football stars, but the gesture reportedly failed to change his mind.
Money was another important part of the negotiations. Adidas is reported to have offered a 10-year package worth around €32 million, which works out at approximately €3.2 million per year. Neither the company nor Yamal's representatives have publicly confirmed those figures.
How Adidas built Lamine Yamal into a global brand
The opportunity to have his own identity within Adidas appears to have been just as important to Yamal as the financial offer.
He explained why the move appealed to him, saying:
"I saw that at Adidas there was a space for me that didn't exist at Nike. I was 15 years old at the time, and at Nike I saw Vinicius Jr. and Mbappe, while I was still very young. Adidas trusted me to become the face of the brand."
The company has backed that promise with a growing collection of products and marketing campaigns.
Yamal initially wore the first pair of Messi's Spark Gen10s boots used by a player other than Messi. He has since received his own LY/304 branding, several signature F50 releases and a prominent role in the Adidas Originals x SP5DER collection.
A fourth signature boot design has also reportedly leaked ahead of a possible February 2027 release. At the 2026 World Cup, which Spain won, Yamal wore personalised Adidas F50 Hyperfast boots from the Road to Glory pack.
The partnership has developed considerably since Adidas announced the deal. There may be another major campaign ahead. Footy Headlines has reported that Adidas is planning a 2027 Messi campaign, described as a "Year of the GOAT".
A project involving Messi and Yamal, potentially presented as a passing of the torch, has also been suggested.
Why Lamine Yamal chose Adidas over Nike
Nike did not lack star power. Its decision to involve Mbappe shows how seriously it wanted to keep the young Barcelona forward. Adidas, however, offered Yamal something more personal.
He could build his own identity within the company rather than join a brand where other established players already occupied much of the spotlight, and that mattered to a teenager who had grown up admiring Messi.
Having his childhood idol personally encourage him to join Adidas was a powerful addition to the company's pitch.
The commercial results have also been encouraging. Yamal's endorsement portfolio includes Adidas, Beats by Dre, Konami and Powerade. Forbes placed him among football's 10 highest-paid players in 2025, estimating his total earnings at $43 million.
