- Arsenal and Lionesses forward Chloe Kelly has officially signed with Adidas in a reported seven-figure deal, one of the biggest endorsement moves in women's football history.
- Her debut campaign features East London grime icon Kano, who welcomes her to the Three Stripes family in a launch video bridging football and British music culture.
- Kelly makes the switch from a long-standing Nike partnership, and will wear the F50 Sparkfusion, Adidas's first-ever women's-specific football boot, on-pitch in 2026.
- Kelly joins an Adidas women's football roster that already includes Aitana Bonmatí, Alessia Russo, and Trinity Rodman.
Chloe Kelly has made her move. The Arsenal and England forward has officially joined Adidas in what’s being called one of the most significant endorsement deals in women’s football, ending a long-running partnership with Nike.
Her debut campaign lands with real cultural weight, grime legend Kano fronts the launch video, welcoming the west London forward to the Three Stripes family as two icons of their respective fields.
Kelly will wear the Adidas F50 Sparkfusion on-pitch, the brand’s first boot built specifically for the female body, and a shoe Kelly wore as a child.
“Having Kano in my debut campaign is special,” she said. “He’s a British cultural icon and someone whose music has been the soundtrack to so many people’s lives, including mine.”
The timing couldn’t be better. Kelly scored the winning goal in Euro 2022, delivered decisive penalties in Finalissima 2023, and contributed key goals as England defended their European Championship title in 2025, the same year she won the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Arsenal.
Just as Adidas has expanded its football universe with Lionel Messi‘s Hora Dorada F50 collection and Lamine Yamal‘s Adizero F50 Formotion campaign, Kelly’s signing signals an equally deliberate push in women’s football.
Kano continues a strong run following his 2025 single Mathematics with Joy Crookes, adding a high-profile brand moment to a career already defined by his Mercury Prize-shortlisted album Made in the Manor and iconic role as Sully in Netflix’s Top Boy.
Takeaways
This partnership is a masterclass in cross-cultural casting. Pairing Kelly, a working-class west Londoner who embodies women’s football’s mainstream moment, with Kano, an east London grime pioneer who grew up playing football himself, isn’t just clever marketing. It’s a genuine story.
Adidas is clearly building a UK cultural footprint that goes beyond sport, tapping into music, identity, and community to reach audiences Nike may have underserved.
The F50 Sparkfusion being the first women’s-specific football boot also tells you this is more than a sponsorship, it’s a long-term strategic bet on the women’s game.
Does Adidas’ decision to use Kano, and not a pop star, signal a shift toward more authentic, subculture-led campaign casting? Could the F50 Sparkfusion, built for the female body, redefine how boot brands approach women’s football product development?
