On Holding's Kylian Mbappé bet 'a direct challenge to Nike and Adidas': Analyst

On Holding's ( ONON ) entry into the soccer category through a partnership with World Cup champion Kylian Mbappé marks the latest step for the company as it aims to tread its own path as a premium global sports brand.

The Swiss sportswear company signed Mbappé, whose contract with Nike ( NKE ) expired this past summer after seven years, beating out competitors such as Adidas ( ADS.DE ) and Under Armor ( UA ) for a partnership with the soccer superstar.

The company did not disclose the size of the deal. As part of the announcement, soccer pundit Thierry Henry was named the company's director of football, after working with the brand since 2025.

"The announcement is a direct challenge to Nike and Adidas (which have a near-monopoly in the category)," Evercore ISI analyst Michael Binetti wrote in a note to clients. "We expect a major investment in a large global category will be a positive near-term catalyst for the stock."

On stock rose slightly after the deal was announced, but shares remain down 40% year to date amid a challenging retail environment for sneaker stocks. Nike's stock fell 2% on Friday.

This is not the first time the brand has tapped a former Nike spokesperson. Tennis player Roger Federer ended a 24-year partnership with Nike in 2018. The following year, he took a 3% stake in On, which paid dividends for the tennis pro. Federer even developed his own shoe line, THE ROGER.

The company now has roughly 300 partnerships, including with tennis star Iga Swiatek and two-time Boston Marathon champ and two-time New York City Marathon champ Hellen Obiri.

Other athletes include runner Yared Nuguse and tennis player Ben Shelton. This past June, the company hosted its inaugural On Running Summit in Paris, bringing together its top 100 global run-specialty partners. There, it gave the runners an exclusive look at its new racing shoe, Cloudboom Strike 2.

A partnership with Zendaya has also helped the brand attract a younger demographic. David Allemann, On founder and co-CEO, told Yahoo Finance that a new line co-created with Zendaya that launched in April 2026 sold out, with 60% of customers being women under 34 years old.

On prides itself on including its athletes in its product development, seeking their input to create products that meet athletes' demands. That has been a key strategy for the brand, especially as it expands into new verticals such as training, apparel, tennis, and now soccer.

"On's tennis players Flavio Cobolli and Joao Fonseca captured headlines at Roland Garros and helped drive a nearly 300% increase in tennis apparel," Telsey Advisory Group analyst Cristina Fernández wrote in a note to clients following the second quarter results.