Nike’s Goal of Becoming the World’s Leading Football Brand.

In the heart of the stadium where the title of the world’s best football team will be determined this summer, NIKE unveiled national team uniforms, displayed the breadth and depth of its most innovative football product line ever and highlighted its growth momentum in becoming the leading football brand, dedicated to the joy of playing the world’s most beautiful game.

“Great football is inspiring, on the street and in the stadium, and Nike is in Berlin today to celebrate brilliant football,” Charlie Denson, president of the Nike brand, said at the global event, which was attended by media from all over the world. “Nike football is about the joy of playing. Our products, our players and our global brand leadership reflect that.”

Denson highlighted Nike’s dramatic growth in football in just over a decade, from roughly a $40 million business in 1994 to one that is approaching $1.5 billion today. This year Nike expects to sell a record 23 million pair of football footwear, more than 10 million balls and more than two million of the team replica uniforms unveiled at the Berlin event.

“Nike football represents one of our top three businesses today, an incredible achievement from where we started in 1994,” Denson said. “We have great momentum. In the past four years, we have more than doubled Nike’s football business worldwide, and we have established brand leadership in the hearts and minds of consumers. We are confident that Nike product innovation and our connection to players and consumers will continue to drive significant growth.”

The focal point of the Berlin event was Nike’s unveiling of national team uniforms for the eight Nike-sponsored teams competing in the World Cup, including title holder Brasil, as well as Australia, Croatia, Holland, Korea, Mexico, Portugal and the United States. The new uniforms use the innovative Nike Sphere Dry apparel technology to keep players cool on the pitch. Nike worked with each federation on the development of the uniforms. Unique designs for each uniform, such as numbers, colors, collars and detailing, are inspired by that country’s football heritage.

Each of the eight teams was represented by a player wearing the home uniform of their country: Adriano for Brasil; Marco Bresciano for Australia; Dado Prso for Croatia; Ruud van Nistelrooy for Holland; JS Park for Korea; Jared Borgetti for Mexico; Luis Figo for Portugal; and DaMarcus Beasley for the United States.

Simultaneously to the global unveiling in Berlin, Nike held events in Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Amsterdam and Lisbon to present national team uniforms to the fans and other media in those countries.