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- Neymar ended US$105m deal with Nike two years early
- Long-term partnership with Puma also includes off-field apparel
- Brazilian earns reported US$25m from personal endorsements
Brazilian soccer player Neymar has confirmed a long-term partnership with Puma after calling an early end to his deal with Nike.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward will play in the German sportswear brand’s Puma King soccer boots, while he will also wear the company’s lifestyle, training, footwear and apparel products off the pitch.
The financial details of the deal have not been reported, but Neymar’s 11-year contract with Nike was purportedly worth US$105 million.
Neymar’s partnership with the US company was due to run until 2022, but it was reported that the pair chose to end the deal prematurely after failing to agree on the financial terms of a renewal.
“Neymar Jr joining our Puma family is fantastic,” said Puma chief executive Bjørn Gulden. “He is one of the best players in the world and extremely influential for the global football and youth culture. We are very excited and look forward to working with him both on and off the pitch.”
Neymar explained his decision to join Puma in a message posted on his social media accounts.
He said: “I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pelé, Cruyff, Matthäus, Eusébio and Maradona. These were the kings of the pitch, the kings of my sport. I wish to bring back the legacy that those athletes created on the pitch. They each played in Puma, and each of them created their magic in the king.”
Neymar, 28, is the fourth highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, which estimates that he earns US$25 million from endorsement deals with the likes of Red Bull, Beats Electronics and Mastercard. The former Barcelona and Santos man also counts DAZN, Electronic Arts, Gillette and TCL among his commercial partners.
The addition of Neymar adds to Puma’s star-studded roster of soccer players, which already includes the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Aguero.
