The famous 'Swoosh' logo of Nike is conspicuously absent from the sports scene in the 2026 World Cup final, after the Argentine national football team's victory over England in the semifinal on Thursday ended the hopes of the sportswear giant to see one of its sponsored teams on the biggest stage in the World Cup final next Sunday. Amid the intense competition between brands on and off the pitch, this result is a win for Adidas, which supplies both finalists, Argentina and Spain, with kits and sports equipment. Adidas sponsored 14 national teams during the tournament, while none of the 12 teams sponsored by Nike reached the final, including England and France, which made it to the semifinals. Both companies invested heavily in the tournament, but Nike was particularly counting on it to boost sales and media presence as part of its efforts to regain momentum after years of steady decline in its market share. Last June, Nike indicated that the turnaround strategy led by CEO Elliott Hill still faces significant challenges, as persistent weakness in the Chinese market and cautious outlook overshadowed the limited improvement in fourth-quarter revenues. The company's stock has lost about a third of its value since the start of the year, with increasing investor frustration over the slow pace of progress in Hill's plan to revive the company. In contrast, Adidas described the two sponsored teams reaching the final as 'a moment of pride,' declining to disclose its sales forecasts. Before the World Cup began, Nike launched two new versions of the Mercurial football boots, partnered with local streetwear designers, and updated football sections in more than 5,000 of its own stores or those of its wholesale partners worldwide. The company said its World Cup campaign 'Rip the Script,' centered around a promotional video featuring stars and other celebrities, including Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, achieved 1.5 billion views in the first week of the tournament, noting that sales of national team kits more than doubled compared to the same period in the 2022 World Cup by the start of the tournament. According to M Science data, Adidas' share of the footwear market rose to 19.2 percent in June, compared to 16 percent a year earlier, while Nike continued to lose market share. Adidas officials previously revealed in April that the company had recorded pre-orders for 2026 World Cup products of about $292 million in the first quarter.