The Esports Foundation (EF) has partnered with adidas to outfit every participating nation at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), bringing one of the world’s biggest sportswear brands into what organizers are positioning as a landmark event for international esports.
As the tournament’s Official Kit Partner and Global Partner, adidas will design and produce custom competition jerseys and tracksuits for more than 100 participating countries and territories. More than 2,000 athletes and coaches competing across 16 esports titles will wear country-specific apparel when the four-week competition begins on November 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
adidas brings traditional sports culture to esports
The partnership extends adidas’ long-standing presence in international sports into competitive gaming, giving esports athletes the same national representation seen in traditional sporting events.
Rather than standard team apparel, every delegation will receive custom-designed jerseys reflecting its country’s identity, reinforcing the tournament’s emphasis on national pride while creating a more recognizable visual identity for fans watching around the world.
The collaboration also highlights the continued convergence of esports and traditional sports, with major global brands increasingly investing in competitive gaming through large-scale international competitions.
“National team jerseys carry identity, pride and the ambition of an entire country or territory,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, EF’s Chief Commercial Officer.
“By partnering with adidas, one of the most iconic brands in global sport, we are giving esports athletes the opportunity to represent their nations on the world stage with the same sense of meaning and prestige seen across traditional sport.”
Phillip Waller, Senior Vice President of Brand Development at adidas, said the company sees the ENC as an opportunity to bring its experience in outfitting athletes at major sporting events into the esports industry.
Partnership strengthens esports’ commercial appeal
The agreement represents one of adidas’ largest collaborations in esports to date, with the sportswear company supporting every participating nation instead of a single organization or team.
For the EF, the partnership adds another high-profile global brand to the inaugural ENC while reinforcing the event’s ambition to establish nation-based esports competition on a recurring international calendar.
The tournament will feature national teams competing across 16 esports titles over four weeks in Riyadh, with more than 100 countries and territories expected to participate.
Fans can view the upcoming national team jersey reveals through the official ENC website in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
