Lionel Messi and his history with Nike ankle boots: why the Barcelona star switched to Adidas

Lionel Messi has been the great icon of Adidas for almost 15 years. However, before the Barcelona star signed with the German brand, he was one of Nike's figures. And his "transfer of him" was another of the great fights between sports brands.

Yes, Leo Messi wore the famous Nike 'Swoosh' logo on his boots. Months before debuting with Barcelona, the forward had already starred in an advertisement for the North American brand. "Remember my name, Leo Messi", said the six-time Ballon d'Or on the spot (as a curiosity, Jonathan dos Santos, one of the Mexican players of the moment and also out of the Barça quarry, appears in the same tiny one).

The American company dressed the Rosario for more than three years. The first contract that united both parties dates from April 2002, according to "Marketing Deportivo". At that time, La Pulga had already been marveling for months in the lower categories of the Catalan club. At the age of 17, and after several months of negotiations, Nike and Messi reached a preliminary agreement so that the then greatest promise of football would remain in the custody of the American multinational. Messi was then insured 180,000 euros a year.

But the popular company of the three stripes appeared. Messi was the star of the 2005 U-20 World Cup with Argentina (he won gold, was the top scorer and was chosen as the best footballer of the tournament). Nike's eternal competitor brand put 600,000 euros on the table and Messi's family agreed without hesitation.