Adidas and Nike are neck-and-neck as World Cup narrows

Nike and Adidas are neck and neck as the 2026 World Cup narrows down to just four remaining teams. On Tuesday, Spain, wearing Adidas jerseys, challenges tournament favorite France, sponsored by Nike, in the first of two semifinal matches.

Nike-sponsored England plays Adidas-clad Argentina on Wednesday.

Argentina's win over Switzerland on Saturday knocked out the last team sponsored by Puma.

World Cup soccer jerseys are big business for Adidas ADSGn.DE, Nike NKE.N and Puma PUMG.DE, with popular teams driving potentially massive sales of shirts and other fanwear.

Since the World Cup kicked off on June 11, shares of Adidas have rallied 6.7%, while Puma has gained almost 8% and Nike is up under 1%.

Nike said earlier this month that stronger World Cup-related marketing, a faster pace of product launches and a rebound in soccer demand after a slowdown in April were proof of improving momentum for the company that has lost market share to smaller rivals in recent years.

Adidas, long associated with soccer, sponsored 14 teams in this year's World Cup, while Nike outfitted 12 national teams and Puma sponsored 11.

Host country Mexico's jerseys have been top sellers during this year's tournament, according to the company.