The Esports Foundation has named adidas the Official Kit Partner and a Global Partner of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, with the sportswear giant set to design and produce Custom jerseys and tracksuits for every competing nation. That's a sizeable undertaking, covering more than 100 countries and territories and roughly 2,000 athletes and coaches, each delegation getting apparel tailored to reflect its national identity. Financial terms weren't disclosed. National team jerseys will be revealed over the coming weeks at esportsnationscup.com/jerseys.
The significance is less about fabric than about symbolism. A recognisable national uniform is one of traditional sport's most powerful tools, the thing that turns individual competitors into representatives of a shared identity, and handing esports that same visual shorthand is precisely the point. Esports Foundation CCO Mohammed Al Nimer framed it directly, saying national jerseys "carry identity, pride and the ambition of an entire country," and that partnering with "one of the most iconic brands in global sport" lets esports athletes represent their nations "with the same sense of meaning and prestige seen across traditional sport." It slots neatly into the Foundation's wider mainstreaming push, alongside the France Télévisions broadcast deal and Faker's ambassadorship, all borrowing the legitimacy of established sport. adidas SVP Phillip Waller pointed to the brand's decades outfitting athletes at the world's biggest events as exactly what it's bringing to gaming.
It's worth noting adidas is no stranger to esports, having previously worked with organisations like Team Vitality, G2 Esports, and 100 Thieves, but kitting out every team at a single tournament is a step up in scale and a first of its kind.
The Event Itself
The Esports Nations Cup is a new biennial competition built entirely around national teams, with players competing for their countries rather than their clubs across 16 titles including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, and EA Sports FC. The inaugural edition runs November 2 to 29, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before the event moves to a rotating host-city model in future years. It carries a $20 million prize pool, and the Foundation has committed a broader $45 million investment, including $20 million earmarked to support team travel, operations, and the growth of national esports ecosystems.
As with everything under the Saudi-backed Esports Foundation umbrella, the deal sits alongside the ongoing sportwashing conversation that follows the organisation's events, with critics viewing the steady accumulation of legacy-brand partnerships as part of a broader soft-power effort.
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