Neymar Jr has revealed that he has secured a long-term partnership with Puma following the PSG forward’s exit from Nike.
The German sportswear brand will provide Neymar JR with Puma King football boots to be played this season, additionally the athlete will wear the firm’s lifestyle, footwear, training and apparel products off the pitch.
Bjorn Gulden, the CEO of Puma, commented: “Neymar Jr. joining our PUMA Family is fantastic. 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’s deal with Puma ends what was a 15 year partnership with Nike which was reportedly worth £78.6m, with the player citing that seeing footballing legends such as Pelé play in Puma shoes was a huge factor in the switch.
“I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pelé, Cruyff, Eusebio and Maradona,” the PSG player stated. “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.”
Puma’s portfolio of athlete sponsorships features some of the world’s biggest footballers including the likes of Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann, Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku, and Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero highlighting the firm’s strong commercial connection to both players and clubs.
Neymar is a welcome addition to its list of partners with the player being named the fourth highest-paid athlete in the world, estimating that Brazilian earns $25 million from endorsement deals alone, according to Forbes.
