Adidas and football is a synonymous partnership that dates back to the 1950s.
The “Adi Dassler” boot, featuring screw-in studs, was first used by the West German team during the World Cup in 1954, as they won their first-ever crown in Switzerland. Since then, the global powerhouse has introduced the Three Stripes and climbed to the top of sport.
Their work within football now stretches across the whole stratosphere of the game. So many top-level athletes have multi-million-pound contracts with Adidas, but which star comes out on top in our latest list for 2025?
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Who are Adidas’ top ten athletes in 2025? 10. Bernardo Silva
It’s been a difficult year for Bernardo Silva, who grabs a valiant tenth position on our list.
The tricky Portuguese midfielder is likely to leave Manchester City in the summer but he has flown the flag well for his country in recent years.
As far as we can see, Silva has worked with Adidas since 2015 and has done so throughout his trophy-laden spell with the Sky Blues.
It remains to be seen what comes next for the 30-year-old, but we still believe he deserves his flowers for his continued impact as one of the Premier League’s most unsung athletes.
9. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema has been a staple Adidas athlete for most of his career and continues to do so in Saudi Arabia at present.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner was a goal machine at Real Madrid and has worn some stand-out footwear including the iconic F50s during their heyday.
8. Alessia Russo
Given her impact in the women’s game, Alessia Russo continues to inspire the next generation of footballers.
During her time at Manchester United, Russo signed a lucrative contract with Adidas and has featured on huge advertisements recently for the new ‘Predator’ boots.
7. Declan Rice
Declan Rice‘s mammoth move from West Ham to Arsenal sent Adidas into a PR overdrive back in 2023, announcing a huge partnership that catapulted his own brand as a footballer into the next gear.
Since then, Rice has become a standout ambassador and regularly sports their ‘Copa’ and ‘Predator’ releases whilst continuing to boss around the midfield for the Gunners.
6. Son Heung-min
In terms of infiltrating further afield markets, Son Heung-min is as big as they come.
The Tottenham captain is a massive deal in Asia and has thousands of superfans flocking to the UK week-after-week to catch a glimpse of him in action for Spurs.
He remains one of Adidas’ most integral sponsorship clients and has worn, promoted and featured in their clothing and footwear for most of his career.
Even during his days with Bayer Leverkusen, Son could be seen wearing flamboyant pairs of F50s. We’re here for it…
5. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is another long-term partner of Adidas and has worn their products for most of his career at the top level.
The talented Egyptian has had numerous campaigns promoting his own specially-designed pairs of boots, which also includes the AdiZero’s and the X Speedflow MS.1.
4. David Beckham
In terms of sporting icons and Adidas, they don’t really come any bigger than David Beckham.
Becks wore Adidas throughout his career with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and LA Galaxy and continues to feature in numerous commercials to this day.
Some sources say the former England captain is locked into a never-ending deal with the sporting giant.
He is said to have signed a huge $160 million (£124 million) lifetime contract with Adidas in 2003 and the agreement allows him to earn profit percentages on all Adidas products. Fair play.
3. Lamine Yamal
The poster boy for the next 20-25 years, Lamine Yamal was snapped up by Adidas back in February 2024, as they fended off huge competition from Nike.
He is rumoured to have replaced the outgoing Lionel Messi as their signature player with his worth clear to see in the modern game.
“I am proud to join adidas as they have always been the brand of the best,” said the Barcelona star last year.
“Growing up, I idolized Leo Messi who has been with adidas since I first started watching football. I look forward to the many years ahead with adidas.”
2. Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham‘s rise to stardom over the past two to three years is something only a few can dream of and Adidas were quick to pen terms with the Real Madrid midfielder in 2022.
He even has his own tailor-made clothing brand and stands today as one of the most marketable footballers on the planet.
1. Lionel Messi
Messi earns an estimated $27 million (£21 million) annually from his lifetime contract with Adidas, which was signed in 2017.
For years it was Adidas vs Nike and the two brands squeezed every penny of that back and forth, with Messi pitted against Ronaldo.
Messi has seen his own Nemeziz and X ranges developed, along with his own sneaker release with popular music star ‘Bad Bunny’.
Some even say his current deal with Inter Miami has a profit-share scheme with Adidas that will continue to earn the Argentine star a pretty penny long after he retires from the game.
