Football Australia and Nike are excited to announce a 10-year contract extension that will push their longstanding partnership into an impressive third decade, the longest of Nike’s federation and club partnerships in Australia.
The extended partnership, which reinforces Nike’s long-term commitment to Australian football, not only supports Australia’s elite national teams but also sees a committed investment in Football Australia’s thriving grassroots participation and inclusivity programs as well as its Legacy ’23 strategy, which focuses on increasing access to the game for young girls and women.
Football Australia’s Legacy ’23 initiative harnesses the growth of women’s football to deliver enduring benefits for Australia’s largest community sport beyond 2023, including the goal of becoming the nation’s first community sport to reach gender parity in participation.
A specific portion of Nike’s partnership investment will be allocated to Legacy ‘23 to ensure the momentum surrounding the game during the year’s major tournament extends into a lasting legacy.
“This extension with Nike is a pivotal moment for Australian football,” says James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia.
“It solidifies Nike’s commitment to our national teams, and provides significant resources for the growth of grassroots football and our ambitious Legacy ’23 plan to inspire the next generation of female footballers.”
Nike will continue to be the official apparel partner for all Australian national teams, including the Junior and Youth men’s and women’s squads.
“Not only does Nike’s innovative high-performance gear allow us to perform our best on the field, but their unwavering commitment to build the game, invest in us as athletes and broaden access for the next generation of players and fans plays a pivotal role in driving the sport forward,” says Steph Catley, Nike athlete and vice-captain of the CommBank Matildas. “We are thrilled to continue working with them and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.”
Football Australia and Nike look forward to a prosperous decade ahead, empowering players from the grassroots to the global stage and inspiring the next generation of Australian footballers.
The announcement adds to Nike’s investment in growing the game at all levels. In partnership with Football Victoria, the Nike FC Accelerator Program is a four-year commitment that helps support female participation in football by providing access to certified coaching programs, use of world-class facilities and more.
Across the world, examples of Nike’s investment range from designing men’s and women’s national team kits to growing professional women’s leagues in Mexico to building accessible spaces like SHAPA Soweto, a community space in South Africa’s Soweto township dedicated to providing football resources and beyond for the area’s young people.