On has officially entered football Kylian Mbappé is the face of its new football division

Swiss brand On has officially launched its football division. Following SportVerse’s initial report in August, a new verified Instagram account (@on.football) appeared in recent hours, removing any remaining doubts before the official announcement arrived just a few hours later.

As previous reports had suggested, On’s move into football is tied to a deal with Kylian Mbappé. SportVerse had also raised this possibility, although it remained unconfirmed, especially given the conflicting signals of recent weeks. During the summer, reports suggested that the Real Madrid forward’s two-decade relationship with Nike could be coming to an end. Since then, however, Mbappé had continued to play in Nike boots, while the brand recently released a limited-edition version of the Mercurial Superfly 11 celebrating the Frenchman’s achievements at the World Cup. That partnership has now officially come to an end.

“I want to bring my experience and perspective to what we create,” Mbappé said. “To push the boundaries through innovation while always staying true to the joy of football. We share the same dream, and this is only the beginning.”

Mbappé will work directly with On’s team to develop new boots and products, becoming part of a project that also includes Thierry Henry, who has been appointed Director of Football, and Sydney Schertenleib, the young Barcelona player already involved in developing On products.

From running to the wider world of sport

Founded in the Swiss Alps in 2010, On built its identity in the running world, turning its soles into a recognisable visual signature beyond the sport itself. Over the years, the brand has followed a much broader trajectory, expanding beyond running footwear to become a global sportswear company capable of competing with brands that have been established across multiple disciplines for decades.

A decisive step came in 2019, when Roger Federer joined the company as an investor and product-development partner. Their collaboration led to THE ROGER, the line that allowed On to enter tennis while maintaining a hybrid positioning between performance and lifestyle. And it was “only the beginning,” as Mbappé repeated today: two more high-profile names, Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton, joined the brand in 2023, while at the beginning of 2026 Arturo Coello became its first padel ambassador.

At the same time, the brand has strengthened its ties with other sports, starting with athletics. Its long-term partnership with FIDAL, the Italian Athletics Federation, has resulted in a complete overhaul of the Italian national team’s visual identity and confirmed On’s ambitions within the sport.

The approach has almost always been the same: identify an athlete, team or federation capable of representing an entire discipline, develop new product lines together and then progressively expand the brand’s presence within that market. This is now happening in football with Kylian Mbappé.

Mbappé: credibility and ambition

For On, entering football through a superstar like Mbappé means gaining enormous and immediate visibility. Every Real Madrid match, every Champions League night and every appearance for France will now become a global showcase – perhaps the brightest one football can offer – for a brand that has never produced a football boot before.

Other brands have already followed similar paths into football, albeit on different scales. In 2023, Skechers launched its new football line with Harry Kane, a first ambassador capable of giving the project immediate credibility. Decathlon, meanwhile, chose Antoine Griezmann to strengthen Kipsta’s presence in the sport, bringing its boots onto the pitch during the 2024/25 season before making him a brand ambassador last season.

On does not necessarily need to build a large roster immediately: Mbappé alone will be more than enough during this initial phase, thanks to his ability to draw global attention to the brand’s new division. Following his departure from Nike, the Frenchman is now officially the founding face of On Football.