Nike signed Messi when he was 14. They lost him over a few hundred dollars worth of tracksuits, a mistake now estimated at $10 billion in brand value.
In 2005, Messi's father Jorge asked Nike for some extra tracksuits for his son, a routine request from the family of an 18-year-old who had just broken into Barcelona's first team. Nike's Iberian and South American offices both ignored it. He never got a reply.
Adidas was paying attention. They offered around $1 million a year, and Nike refused to match because they didn't want a bidding war over a teenager. They were busy building their 2006 World Cup campaign around established stars.
Once the Adidas deal leaked, Nike panicked and sued in Spanish court, claiming a binding contract. The judges found all Nike had was a "commitment letter" with no legal weight. Messi signed with Adidas in February 2006, and in 2017 they gave him a lifetime deal.
So when he walks out at El Monumental on October 6 for his final Argentina match, in front of 84,000 people, the gold-lettered farewell jersey he revealed today will carry three stripes.
Twenty years, 125 international goals, a World Cup, and every shirt sold along the way. All of it went to Adidas because someone at Nike didn't answer an email about tracksuits.
"Dalí estaba loco,
Picasso estaba loco,
Frida Kahlo estaba loca,
Copérnico estaba loco,
Arquímedes estaba loco,
Jesucristo estaba loco,
la Virgen de Guadalupe estaba loca, Benito Juárez estaba loco...."
Para los que no son de mexico.
Hoy todos los mexicanos ponemos un nopal en casa, lo adornamos con esferas y luces y esperamos a que en la noche llegue Miguel Hidalgo y nos deje regalos bajo nuestro nopal de independencia.
Necesito que WhatsApp saque una actualización donde se puedan ordenar los stickers, no puedo estar en medio de una discusión y estar 30 minutos buscando que mandar .
el próximo año que estemos a 40 grados a media noche les voy a recordar a todos los que estan haciendo su mamada de preguntarle a chatgpt como se verian en los 80s
🚨🤯 HISTORIC: Mexico captain Rebeca Bernal is officially a new Manchester United player. 🏴💣
The defender will become the FIRST-EVER MEXICAN to play in the Women’s Super League.
Mexico now has a new Red Devil, following in the footsteps of Chicharito Hernández. ❤️👏🏼