At the Supercup, the new Nike ball rolled onto the pitch for the first time. Behind it lies a historic switch that ends adidas' decades-long reign.
Saturday's Google Pixel Women's Supercup between FC Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg (3-0) in Ingolstadt saw a new match ball roll out for the first time: Nike is now the official ball partner of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, the second division and the Supercup.
The eight-year partnership between Nike and the German FA (DFB) replaces adidas as the league's previous ball supplier and also marks Nike's first partnership at league and cup level in the country.
Nike Control: The New Match Ball of the Frauen-Bundesliga
Matches will now be played with the Nike Control, which the manufacturer says was developed for the modern game: engineered OMNISculpt grooves are said to provide a more precise flight path, while the four-panel construction with shorter, offset seams is said to create a larger sweet spot and a more consistent shape. Clubs in both divisions will also receive training balls.
For the debut, Nike paired the launch with a message aimed at the grassroots: the balls handed to the player escorts before kick-off read "Träume groß. Fußball gehört dir." ("Dream big. Football is yours.") The escorts also wore shirts featuring the logos of the amateur clubs where the players once began their careers.
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"The partnerships allow us to connect even more closely with the women shaping the game every day, from the best professionals to the next generation," says Camilo Andrade, Vice President of Nike Football.
"I've seen first-hand how much Nike is committed to women's football, giving us the platform, the recognition and the voice to move the sport forward," said national team captain Giulia Gwinn, who like eleven other current national team players is a Nike athlete, speaking back when the partnership was announced in July. And after all, she said, "everything starts with a ball."
Nike Instead of adidas: The Ball Partnership Is Part of the Wider DFB Deal
The switch didn't come as a surprise: the ball partnership is part of the wider deal between Nike and the German FA agreed back in 2024, which will also cover the German national teams' kits from 2027.
The federation's split from adidas after decades of collaboration had caused plenty of debate at the time, now the shift is visible on the pitch for the first time.
