Soccer is the most popular sport on the planet. As such, it has a considerable clothing market where you can get anything from clothing to cleats, shoes, shin guards, balls and bags. Whether you play soccer professionally or as an amateur, or you merely enjoy dressing sporty, you have most likely heard of the names comprising our list, as they have been in the business for years, decades even.
Adidas
Adidas has been in the sports business for almost a century, and it is recognized as one of the most famous soccer clothing brands. The company was started in 1924 by Adolf Adi Dassler and his older brother, Rudolf. Due to personal differences, the two brothers split up with Rudolf forming his own company, Puma, to rival Adidas. Their company logo is the well-known three stripes that Adidas bought in 1952 from Finnish sports company Karhu Sports for two bottles of whiskey and 1600 euros.
Nike
Nike first started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. On May 30, 1971, they officially became Nike and named themselves after the Greek goddess of victory. Nike is an American multinational corporation, and their headquarters lies in Beaverton, Oregon. They are recognizable for their swoosh logo and are regarded as the world’s largest supplier of sports apparel and athletic shoes. Their brand is the most valuable brand in the sports industry and was valued at $19 billion in 2014.
Puma
Puma is ranked as the third largest manufacturer of sportswear in the world. Albeit not as successful as Adidas, Puma is still among the top sports brands in the world. The company headquarters is in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria in Germany. After the split from his brother in 1948, Rudolf Dassler started his own company called Ruda. In 1958, both the name and the logo were changed to the one we know today.
Umbro
Umbro is one of the oldest companies in the line of sportswear on the market. It was founded in May of 1924 in Wilmslow, England. Today, the company headquarters is in Cheadle, which is right next to Manchester, England. Their products are sold in 90 countries across the world. In a period between 2007 and 2012, Umbro was a subsidiary of Nike.
