12 greatest Nike-sponsored footballers of all time

American multinational corporation Nike is the world's largest supplier of sports goods. Founded in 1964, Nike has sponsored many of the world's top-drawer athletes in an attempt to connect with the crowd and grow into a multi-billion dollar company.

As you would expect, they also have a close relationship with many world-class football stars.

Today, we will take a quick look at some of their biggest clients over the years. Here are the 12 best players Nike has sponsored in its history.

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#12 Didier Drogba

Chelsea v West Ham United - Premier League

Chelsea are currently one of the biggest teams in world football. They have some of the most talented players in their ranks and are capable of winning every single trophy they fight for.

Back when Didier Drogba played for the club, the situation was not as cheery. Chelsea were still a great club, of course, but not outright favorites in any of the competitions.

Drogba changed the scenery of the club with his passion and commitment. He was the heart and soul of the club and led them to four Premier League titles and a Champions League, among other trophies.

Nike was Drogba’s key sponsor over the course of his career, benefitting greatly from the two-time African Player of the Year’s great rapport with fans.

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#11 Wayne Rooney

England v Bulgaria - EURO 2012 Qualifier

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has spent most of his career sporting Nike’s famous cleats. However, he was not always a 'Swoosh' man. The Englishman was initially an Umbro man, through and through.

In August 2012, Rooney made his Everton debut wearing the Umbro XAI. He scored his first Everton goal in a pair of Umbro XAI II and then made his England debut wearing the XAI III.

Persuaded by Rooney’s performances for England and Everton, Nike signed the player in 2003. Instead of going with the Mercurial, Rooney stayed loyal to the T90 series for most of his career.

Wearing the T90, Rooney bagged five Premier League titles and one Champions League, amongst other honors.

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#10 Andrea Pirlo

Italy v Uruguay: Group D - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

Former Italy international Andrea Pirlo was the perfect definition of a late bloomer. The midfielder aged better than most of his contemporaries and retired as one of the most technically astute players in the history of the game.

Pirlo’s elegance and finesse were only heightened by Nike’s perfectly-crafted boots, helping him win the biggest trophies for his clubs and country. So grand was Pirlo’s presence, Nike created a wine-themed boot - Nike Tiempo Pirlo - in his honor.

The boot had a genuine cork sock-lining and paid homage to the midfielder’s history with winemaking.

#9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

AC Milan v FC Porto: Group B - UEFA Champions League

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is arguably the most colorful and pleasantly controversial person in football right now. The Swede, who has a knack for calling himself the best, spent most of his career wearing Nikes, scoring flashy, important goals in them.

Ibrahimovic was part of the famous Nike commercial “Risk Everything” before the 2014 World Cup. The current AC Milan man was one of the main protagonists alongside the likes of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ibrahimovic, who is currently 40 years old, has won 11 league titles and a Europa League title in his career.

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#8 Carles Puyol

Barcelona v Real Madrid - La Liga

Carles Puyol may not have been as marketable as some of the other names on our list, but he sure is a legend of football.

The lion-hearted captain of Barcelona has gone into battle countless times over the course of his career, usually wearing a pair of Nike cleats.

Puyol made his Barcelona debut wearing the black and white Nike Mercurial. Soon after, he was signed by Japanese brand Mizuno and wore their offerings for three years.

He returned to Nike after running down his contract, famously picking up the Total 90 boots. Eventually, he switched to Nike Tiempo boots and wore them until the last match of his career.

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#7 Sergio Busquets

FC Barcelona v Granada CF - La Liga Santander

Sergio Busquets is an icon in Spanish football. Busquets, who won it all with Barcelona and Spain, possesses unmatched vision, finesse and passing range, making him one of the best in history.

Getting him on its books was important for Nike, but, surprisingly, Busquets did not wear a pair of Nikes on his debut for Barcelona.

Busquets wore Puma’s King Exec football boots in his first-ever match for Barcelona. Quickly realizing his potential, Nike swooped in and tied him down for good.

Currently, Busquets is a proud Nike ambassador and wears a pair of custom Magista cleats.

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#6 Sergio Ramos

Athletic Club v Real Madrid - La Liga

Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is one of the most decorated players in football. Realizing the potential of the player, Nike tied him down to a 10-year-deal way back in 2006.

Eventually, Ramos won four Champions Leagues, two Euros, and even the World Cup, becoming one of the best defenders in the world. Nike extended his contract in 2016 for €2milion per year, keeping him for four more years.

After the contract expired in 2020, Ramos moved to rivals Adidas for a more lucrative deal.

#5 Ian Rush

Ian Rush for Liverpool Football Club

Nike was not keen on going all-in for European footballers at first. However, that changed with Liverpool legend Ian Rush in 1982.

Rush, sporting his majestic facial hair, was on the cover of the big sports magazines, which eventually paved the way for Nike’s global domination.

Rush, a Reds legend through and through, spent 15 seasons with Liverpool, scoring 346 goals in 660 appearances.

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#4 Andres Iniesta

Barcelona v Guangzhou Evergrande FC - FIFA Club World Cup Semi Final

Rated as one of the best midfielders in history, Andres Iniesta was with Nike for 16 years between 2002 and 2018 before switching to Asics.

Iniesta was never a flashy footballer, which is why Nike chose him to headline the understated CTR360 Maestri.

He famously wore the CTR360 in the 2010 World Cup final where he scored the winning goal for Spain. Later, Iniesta switched to the Magista, which he headlined and launched in Barcelona in 2014.

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#3 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho of Brazil and Thomas Linke

In 1996, Nike signed an earth-shattering £100m contract with the Brazilian Football Confederation, introducing the world to the famous phrase, “Joga Bonito.”

Ronaldinho, the emerging star of Brazil, quickly turned into one of Nike’s favorites. The youngster was full of finesse, tricks and goals - ideal for Nike’s youthful campaign.

Nike chose Ronaldinho for its Tiempo Legend YouTube commercial in 2005, asking him to hit the crossbar four times without the ball touching the ground. The video went viral, becoming the first YouTube video to reach one million views.

Nike has even created a signature boot with Ronaldinho - Nike Tiempo Ronaldinho R10 - making him the first footballer to get a signature product.

Nike later released Nike Tiempo Ronaldinho Dois, which paid homage to Ronaldinho’s flamboyant gameplay. The Dois has gone down as one of the most celebrated pairs of boots in the history of football.

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#2 Ronaldo Nazario

Ronaldo of Real Madrid stock

Nike has sponsored many footballers over the years, but none more prolific than the great Ronaldo Nazario.

Nike was so spellbound by the genius of the Brazilian that it built the first Mercurial (1998) with Ronaldo in mind. He wore the iconic boot to guide Brazil to the 1998 World Cup final, scoring four goals.

Four years later, he returned from a potentially career-ending injury, flaunting a dazzling pair of Mercurial Vapor. His record-breaking eight goals helped Brazil win their fifth World Cup.

At the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo sported the legendary Mercurial Vapor III, which inspired millions of footballers, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Atalanta v Manchester United: Group F - UEFA Champions League

Love him or hate him, you simply cannot dispute the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is the most accomplished player to have been sponsored by Nike.

According to CBS Sport, Ronaldo has a lifetime deal with Nike, which makes him about $20 million every year.

Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Nike way back in 2003, before making his life-altering move to Manchester United. Nike backed the young Portuguese to shatter the biggest records, and the legendary #7 has reciprocated by sticking with the company for all these years.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is going strong even at 36 and is still Nike’s most celebrated endorser.