In 2019, an athlete is as only as good as their endorsement deal. When it comes to proper football, we immediately think of David Beckham’s $160M lifetime deal with Adidas, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s $1B lifetime deal with Nike. But so many huge stars don’t have deals like that—even when it comes to signature boots.
So, here's our five soccer athletes who we'd like to get their own signature boots ASAP.
Mohamed Salah took the Premier League by storm last year, becoming its top scorer and helping Liverpool reach the 2018 Champions League Final in Kiev. During that season, Salah put up ridiculous numbers and set the record for most goals in a debut season (44). “The Egyptian Messi” is also being included in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people along with the likes of Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. In the accompanying Time article, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver wrote that Salah is “a better human being than he is a football player.” Someone as influential as Salah would surely have no problem selling his own line of football boots.
Kylian Mbappé is destined to become one of the top players in the world, the heir apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. One thing that already separates Mbappé from the best is that he has won the World Cup at the young age of 19. The only other teenager to score two goals in a World Cup match other than Mbappé is Pelé, who recently stated that Mbappé can certainly become the next version of him.
Off the pitch, Mbappé is incredibly marketable. He is currently one of the best young players and he’s playing for one of the richest clubs in the world. His club, Paris Saint-Germain, recently collaborated with Jordan Brand for their Champions League away kits.There’s no denying that Mbappé is one for the future, and out of this group should be the most likely to sport his own signature boot.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a global star, and it’s only partly because of his prestigious career in the top flights of football. He’s a one-man branding machine, a man whose outlandish claims have been breaking the internet since the late 2000s. He’s a larger-than-life character who is probably Sweden’s best player ever. So why doesn’t he have a signature boot?
Zlatan has a long history of attempting to play Nike and Adidas against each other. Eventually, he started his own company, A-Z Sportswear, while continuing to wear Nike or Adidas cleats on the pitch. But it’s time for someone to make their relationship with Zlatan official. Because the world will certainly hear about it, loud and clear.
Considered a “magician,” Andrés Iniesta is one of Spain’s most creative midfielders of all time. The Barcelona legend has won every trophy possible at the club and international levels, and most notably scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup Final in South Africa in 2010.
Iniesta’s insane vision and footballing IQ is what made him stand out from the rest. His image off the pitch is positive, and it is well known that he is a true family man. Midfielders all around the world would certainly feel more confident on the ball with some Iniesta influence sketched in.
Harry Kane is England’s golden boy at the moment. He is one of the best strikers in the world and has been extremely consistent for club team Tottenham Hotspur since his breakout season three years ago.
Being a captain and leader on the pitch, Kane offers marketability off the pitch by not only being a world-class player but also being involved with Tottenham Hotspur’s thriving culture. He’s become known stateside as well for his increasing interest in the NFL. Tottenham recently opened up its new billion-dollar stadium in London. All eyes are currently on the Spurs, which gives Harry Kane the chance to pounce on the opportunity of starting his own boot line.
