Ucl iconic: UCL's Iconic Star Ball Era Ends as Nike $45M

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase starts next month with Adidas’s new official match balls already rolled out, but the launch carries an undertone of finality.

After roughly a quarter of a century at the helm for Adidas, the iconic star-ball design is “almost at an end,” according to reporting in April 2026 from The Guardian and The Athletic, who noted that the 2026-27 offerings could be Adidas’s last UCL balls.

The Headline Number: 50+ Designs and a $45M Annual Shift

The Adidas star-ball design has been used in Champions League match balls since the introduction of the model “Finale 1” in the 2001-02 season, and more than 50 versions of the UCL star ball have been used in the competition, excluding winter high-visibility yellow variants.

The scale of that run becomes clearer when measured against the next cycle: Nike has agreed to a $45 million-a-year deal to take over as UEFA’s official match ball supplier from the next season. Adidas marked the milestone in 2026 with a 25-year UEFA Champions League partnership celebration, releasing a remake of the original adidas FINALE 1 official match ball. It was a fitting send-off, packaging nostalgia and a commercial pivot into the same press cycle. UEFA’s new ball cycle is expected to begin from the 2027-28 season, when Nike takes over, giving the German brand one final full campaign.

What the Numbers Reveal About the Handover

The financial geometry of the deal tells its own story. Nike’s $45 million-a-year agreement outpaces what insiders estimate Adidas paid under its existing terms, though the German company had built equity through consistent design refreshes and winter variants that kept the product line fresh.

Over 25 years, that translates into a brand presence woven into the competition’s most-watched moments, from Istanbul 2005 to Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, which is reportedly set to host the 2027 Champions League final on June 5.

Ball milestone	Year/season	Supplier	Reported value
Finale 1 introduced	2001-02	Adidas	Multi-year deal
25-year partnership celebrated	2026	Adidas	Remake of FINALE 1
New supplier cycle begins	2027-28	Nike	$45m/year
Projected last star-ball final	June 5, 2027	Adidas	TBD

Context: Why the Switch Matters Beyond Aesthetics

The handover carries weight beyond kit-room nostalgia. A ball supplier shapes everything from in-flight aerodynamics to camera-friendly graphics, and the move to Nike signals a fresh visual identity for UEFA’s flagship competition. Worth noting: the change is not just corporate.

Nike’s deeper roster of athlete ambassadors, including several high-profile Champions League stars, gives the Swoosh a marketing reach Adidas cannot easily replicate at club level. For UEFA, the financial uplift provides leverage for grassroots investment and refereeing technology, areas that have lagged behind broadcast ambitions.

What Happens Next on the Pitch

One report says the last match with the star ball could be the 2027 Champions League final at Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano on June 5, a poetic symmetry given that the Spanish capital has hosted several iconic European nights.

The 2026-27 league phase, kicking off in September, will run its full course under the Adidas banner, with knockout rounds carrying the familiar stars into the spring. Players and supporters have roughly nine months to absorb the final iterations before the swoosh takes over.

Expect Adidas to push heritage colourways and commemorative packaging in its farewell run, while Nike readies a launch campaign anchored to the 2027-28 curtain-raiser. The ball is round, but the logo on it is about to change.

The star ball bows out as a $45m-a-year rival takes the stage. More on UCL's as the story develops.

FAQs

When does the Adidas star-ball era end?

The Adidas star-ball design is expected to feature through the 2026-27 season, with the last match reportedly being the 2027 Champions League final on June 5, 2027, at Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano.

Why is Nike replacing Adidas as UEFA’s ball supplier?

Nike has agreed to a $45 million-a-year deal to take over as UEFA’s official match ball supplier from the 2027-28 season.

How many star-ball designs has Adidas produced?

More than 50 versions of the UCL star ball have been used in the competition since 2001-02, excluding winter high-visibility yellow variants.

What ball will be used in the 2026-27 Champions League?

Adidas has rolled out the new official match balls for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase, set to begin next month.