Nike recently welcomed Pepe—famous soccer player for both Real Madrid and the Portuguese National Team—to their family of endorsing athletes. The 29-year-old central defender has agreed to a multi-year contract with the popular brand, which stipulates that he wear Nike soccer boots instead of his previous Umbro Speciali 3 Pros.
(Read about one of Nike’s new soccer cleats: Nike’s All-Weather Soccer Cleats Hit the Market.)
Pepe joins six other world famous soccer stars already under contact with the powerful sports marketer: Cristiano Ronaldo, Sami Khedira, Luka Modric, Gonzalo Higuain, Raphael Varane and Mesut Ozil. Second only to adidas, Nike is one of the most dominant brands endorsed by Real Madrid players.
But Pepe’s endorsement goes beyond Real Madrid. He will also support the brand in his native Portugal, because Nike is the official kit supplier for the Portuguese National Team.
At this point, it is unclear how much money his endorsement will net the soccer star. But for Pepe, this deal is the silver lining in Real Madrid’s dark cloud season so far. The team is currently ranked fifth in La Liga, eight points behind long-time rival and current leader Barcelona. In need of a victory to eat away at Barcelona’s lead, Real Madrid walked away with a 2-2 draw this past Sunday (October 7), off of goals from each team’s superstar, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid’s next La Liga matchup is against Celta (currently ranked 12th).
(For all things soccer, check out the STACK Soccer Guide.)
Photo: Ronaldo7