Olise signs with Nike and inherits Mbappé's role at the American equipment maker

Michael Olise is no longer the only big name in football without an official equipment partner. The Bayern Munich and France winger (24) has officially announced a partnership with Nike, filling a rare void at this level where such contracts are commonly negotiated for several million euros.

According to specialist site Footy Headlines, the timing is no coincidence: Nike plans to discontinue its Phantom range in 2027 to relaunch the Hypervenom series, popularized by Neymar Jr. and absent from the market since 2018. This model, which Olise particularly appreciates and readily associates with the colors of his club and international kits, reportedly played a decisive role in his decision to sign with the swoosh brand.

The deal comes at a delicate time for Nike. The American company recently dropped out of the ranking of the hundred largest publicly traded companies in the United States, with its stock having lost nearly 80% of its value since 2021. Recruiting one of Europe’s most prominent wingers represents both a communications operation and a sporting investment.

Olise is in a sense taking over from Kylian Mbappé, who left Nike after twenty years of partnership to join Swiss brand On, alongside Thierry Henry. The departure of the France captain had left a symbolic gap at the American equipment maker among leading French internationals — a space that Olise now occupies.