Nike returns to Rush Soccer after 30-year journey
Rush Soccer will reunite with Nike as its global apparel partner from 2027, giving the sportswear group access to a youth football network of more than 60,000 players across 50 countries.
Rush Soccer has agreed a global partnership with Nike that will begin in 2027, reconnecting the sportswear brand with one of the world’s largest youth football organisations at a time of heightened commercial interest in the sport.Nike will become Rush Soccer’s global apparel partner across a network comprising 175 clubs, more than 60,000 players and operations in 50 countries. Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.Rush Soccer chief executive Justin Miller said: “This partnership represents much more than a business agreement. Nike was there during the early days of Rush Soccer, and together we’re writing the next chapter at a time when soccer’s future has never been brighter.“We have an incredible opportunity to inspire more young players than ever before.”The agreement reunites the organisations nearly 30 years after Nike became Rush Soccer’s first major footwear and apparel partner. Rush Soccer was founded in 1997 and has since developed an international club network spanning player pathways, tournaments and coaching programmes.Nike and Rush Soccer plan to collaborate on player development, club growth, coaching education and initiatives designed to increase youth participation throughout the organisation’s global footprint.Nuno Silva, vice-president and general manager of Nike Soccer North America, said: “This new partnership gives us the opportunity to match the best of Nike Soccer innovation with Rush Soccer’s commitment to player development, coaching and growth of the sport, all in service of our shared vision to support youth athletes across every dimension of play.”The deal expands Nike’s reach into grassroots football through a single organisation operating across multiple markets, providing a platform for apparel distribution and engagement with players, coaches and families.It also gives Rush Soccer a globally recognised technical partner as the organisation seeks to support further club growth and strengthen its development offering.The partnership was announced shortly after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with football organisations and commercial brands seeking to convert tournament interest into sustained participation.Nike-branded Rush Soccer apparel will be introduced when the partnership takes effect in 2027.