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From Stitches to Riches: How Brands and Industries Shape the Football Shirt design in 2025/26

Airlines Fly High as Top Sponsors, German Giants Dominate Kit Supplies

Written by Paul Kemp
Paul Kemp is an experienced sports writer covering Soccer, NBA and NHL. He also writes in depth reviews of sports betting sites based on his personal experience.
, | Updated: August 12, 2025

The return of top-flight European football is just around the corner, with the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, and French Ligue 1 kicking off this weekend. Clubs from the Bundesliga and Serie A will have a slightly longer summer break before the action resumes. With the new season approaching, Sportingpedia analysed the latest trends in the shirts design for the upcoming 2025/26 season, investigating the front-shirt sponsors and kit suppliers for all 96 clubs competing in the five major leagues, revealing where the money and brand power lie in European football.

One of the report’s most curious revelations is that travel companies (mostly Airlines) are the most common front-shirt sponsors in Europe’s top leagues, ahead of the heavily represented Finance & Insurance and Gambling sectors. Meanwhile, Adidas has secured the largest market share among kit suppliers, beating both Puma and Nike by a clear margin. Another fact that merits attention is that eight clubs will start the season without a front-shirt sponsor at all.

Key Takeaways:

    • The travel sector is a leading sponsor across all leagues, powering top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Milan, PSG, and Lyon, featuring major airlines including Fly Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, and Riyadh Air
    • Fly Emirates sponsors four teams (Arsenal, Real Madrid, Milan, and Lyon) in four different leagues – the most of any company
    • Finance & Insurance companies rank second, sponsoring clubs like Liverpool (Standard Chartered), Brighton (American Express), Tottenham (AIA), Athletic Bilbao (Kutxabank), and Ligue 1’s Nice (Robinhood)
    • Forbidden or extremely strictly regulated in any of the other four leagues, the Gambling sector dominates the Premier League sponsorship, with their logos emerging on the front-shirt of of 11 out of 20 teams (55%)
    • 8 teams are still without a front-shirt sponsor – 3 from Italy and Spain each, 1 from England, and 1 from France
    • Kit suppliers Adidas, Puma, and Nike dominate Europe’s top leagues: Adidas leads in the Premier League, Puma is most prominent in the Bundesliga, and Nike has the strongest presence in La Liga

Front-Shirt Sponsorship Trends for 2025/26 season
in Europe’s Top 5 Football Leagues by Industry

Front Shirt Sponsorship Trends for 2025/26 season in Europe's Top 5 Football Leagues by Industry

Data Source: www.footballkitarchive.com

A total of 88 teams across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have confirmed their front-shirt sponsorship deals for the 2025/26 season. Companies from the Travel sector lead the way, sponsoring 12 clubs while Finance & Insurance, and Gambling firms follow closely with 11 sponsored teams each. In total, the three leading sectors – Travel, Finance & Insurance, and Gambling – account for deals with 34 clubs.

The Food & Beverage and Industrial & Automotive Manufacturing sectors are tied, each backing 9 clubs. Telecommunications sponsors appear on 7 teams’ shirts, while another 7 clubs currently have no sponsor at all. Firms from the Technology sector support 5 teams, while Construction & Materials, Real Estate & Facility Management, and Recruitment companies each sponsor 4 clubs. Only 2 teams are backed by companies in the Energy sector.

Brand Battle: Kit Suppliers in Europe’s top 5 leagues for 2025/26 Season Ranked by Team Count

Brand Battle: Kit Suppliers in Europe's top 5 leagues for 2025/26 Season Ranked by Team Count

Data Source: www.footballkitarchive.com

When it comes to kit suppliers, 18 different brands will outfit the 96 clubs in Europe’s top five leagues. Adidas tops the list with 23 teams, followed by Puma with 15 and Nike with 13. Macron provides kits for 8 clubs, Joma outfits 7, Hummel supplies 6, and Kappa is the supplier for 4. Castore, Mizuno, New Balance, and Umbro each appear on the shirts of 3 clubs. Jako supplies 2 clubs, while Acerbis, Eye Sport, Kelme, M908, Sudu, and EA7 each provide kits to just 1 team. The combined total for Adidas, Puma, and Nike reaches 51 clubs, meaning more than half of all teams in the top 5 leagues wear kits from one of these three sportswear giants.

Breakdowns by League:

  • Premier League dominated by gambling sponsors and Adidas kits

    In the 2024/25 Premier League season, gambling companies sponsor 11 of the 20 clubs, accounting for more than half the league. Travel sponsors appear on 2 teams’ shirts, while the Finance & Insurance sector supports 3 clubs. One club each is backed by companies in the Food & Beverage, Technology, and Event Management (Other) sectors.

    Adidas is the leading kit supplier in the Premier League with 8 clubs wearing its shirts. Nike supplies 3 teams, followed by Umbro and Castore with 2 each. One club each is outfitted by Puma, Hummel, Sudu, Macron, and Joma.

  • La Liga features industrial sector dominance in sponsorship and diverse kit suppliers

    In La Liga, the Industrial Manufacturing sector leads all front-shirt sponsorship categories with 4 clubs. Telecommunications and Travel each appear on the shirts of 3 teams. Technology and Real Estate follow with 2 clubs apiece, while Finance & Insurance, Food & Beverage, and Home Decorations (Others) sponsor one club each. Three clubs currently have no front-shirt sponsor – Elche, Espanyol, and Real Sociedad.

    Adidas and Nike are the top kit suppliers, each outfitting 3 and 4 teams respectively. Puma supplies 3 clubs, while Macron provides kits for 3. Joma appears on 2 teams, and Kelme, Castore, Umbro, and Hummel cover the remaining clubs, with Hummel serving 2 teams.

  • Industrial and automotive brands dominate Serie A front-shirt sponsorship as Adidas leads kit supply

    In Serie A, companies from the Industrial & Car Manufacturing sector are the leading shirt sponsors, backing 4 clubs. Food & Beverage and Travel sectors follow with 3 sponsored teams each. ‘Other’ sponsors include Pharmaceutical and Entertainment (2 clubs), Finance & Insurance (1), Construction & Materials (1), and Home Decorations (1). Three clubs will begin the season without a front-shirt sponsor – Lazio, Roma, and Verona.

    Adidas supplies the most kits in Serie A, serving 4 teams. Puma follows with 3, while Macron and Joma provide kits for 2 clubs each. The remaining suppliers—Nike, Mizuno, M908, Acerbis, New Balance, EA7, Kappa, and Eye Sport — each support one team.

  • Finance and insurance dominate Bundesliga front-shirt sponsorship while Puma tops kit supply

    In the Bundesliga, Finance & Insurance companies are the most common front-shirt sponsors, backing 5 teams. Telecommunications firms sponsor 3 clubs, while Technology and Recruitment sectors cover 2 teams each. Other represented sectors include Industrial & Car Manufacturing, Construction Materials, F&B, Building Contractors, Home Decorations, and Bike Leasing, each with 1 sponsored team. One additional club is sponsored by a Car Manufacturer.

    Puma is the leading kit supplier in the Bundesliga, providing equipment for 5 teams. Adidas follows with 4, while Nike supplies 2. Jako and Hummel also support 2 clubs each. Joma, New Balance, and Mizuno each supply one Bundesliga side.

  • F&B and Travel industries lead front-shirt sponsorship in Ligue 1 while Adidas tops kit supply

    In Ligue 1, the F&B and Travel sectors each sponsor 3 clubs. Recruitment firms also back 3 teams, followed by single-club representation from Real Estate, Construction Materials, Finance & Insurance, Energy, and several others categorised under ‘Other’ — including Jewelry Retailers, Logistics, Car Dealers, and Facility Management. The only team in Ligue 1 remaining without a front-shirt sponsor is Toulouse.

    Adidas is the most common kit supplier, providing shirts for 4 teams. Nike and Puma each supply 3 clubs, while Kappa supports 2. Macron, Joma, Hummel, New Balance, and Mizuno each sponsor one team in the league.


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