The iconic UEFA Champions League ball will be redesigned next year after Nike entered exclusive talks with UEFA to become the official match ball provider for the 2027 to 2031 cycle of the competition.
Adidas has held the Champions League contract since 2001, when the German company introduced the iconic Finale ball, featuring a star design that mimics the Champions League logo. That design has been used in every match since and has become synonymous with the highest level of European football, ending a 25-year Adidas era in the Champions League.
Nike was previously UEFA's match ball supplier between 1997 and 2001, during which period they used simpler designs featuring the company’s own trademark "swoosh" prominently. From 2027, the Champions League will look different on the pitch — there will be no more iconic star ball, and a completely new Nike design will be introduced.
For many fans, the Adidas ball is part of the Champions League's identity. The iconic star pattern (introduced in 2001) is instantly recognisable, and people associate it with legendary moments such as Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kicks and Lionel Messi's magic nights.
The ball is made from synthetic leather (usually polyurethane or PU). It was designed to be waterproof, durable, and smooth for better control. Older balls used real leather, which absorbed water and became heavy; modern ones do not. The ball is made of thermally bonded panels, rather than being stitched like older balls.
Fans online are saying things like: “The Champions League without the star ball won’t feel the same.” Before 2001, there was nothing visually special about the match balls; they were regular footballs made by Adidas with no unique Champions League identity. Fans did not associate the ball with the competition until the star design was introduced. (
