For adidas, the 2006 FIFA World Cup has proven to be a “great commercial success” with record football sales of over €1.2 billion ($1.45 billion), up more than 30% from 2005. A record 3 million replica jerseys were sold, which included 1.5 million jerseys of the German national team. In comparison, adidas sold 1.5 million federation jerseys and 250,000 German jerseys at the last World Cup in 2002.

“Even before the games end, adidas is already a clear World Cup winner,” adidas AG CEO and Chairman Herbert Hainer told journalists at the adidas World Cup Day in Berlin. “We exceeded all of our football and business goals for the World Cup.”

With these words, Herbert Hainer summed up adidas’ role as Official Sponsor, Supplier and Licensee of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. By achieving record football sales, adidas succeeded in further expanding its global football market leadership position.

“One trend confirmed at this year’s World Cup is that the fans are going to the games in the jersey of their team,” added Herbert Hainer. “Our products are scoring with consumers, and this success is translating into market share gains.”

In the first quarter of 2006, adidas led the European market with a share of 37%, the US market with a 46% share and the German market with 51%, according to independent market research.

In addition, over 1 million pairs of +Predator® Absolute football boots and 750,000 +F50 TUNIT football boots were sold. Over 15 million +Teamgeist footballs, in the design of the Match Ball of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, have been sold worldwide, a record that more than doubles the previous record of 6 million for the adidas Fevernova, the Match Ball of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.