Kylian Mbappé went from childhood dreamer to world champion with Nike, now he takes a risk to build something unprecedented in soccer

Before Kylian Mbappé became a world champion, France captain or Real Madrid superstar, he was a child in Bondy wearing Nike cleats and dreaming of becoming Cristiano Ronaldo. Nike was already there when soccer was still an idea in his imagination rather than a career.

Mbappé remembers that relationship beginning when he was seven years old, while Nike dates the start of their official journey to 2006, when he was nine. Either way, the Swoosh accompanied him for nearly two decades: throughout the development of his entire professional career and for almost ten years before the soccer world recognized him as a star.

Now, at 27, Mbappé is leaving the only soccer brand he has ever known. He is not moving to another traditional giant such as Adidas or Puma. Instead, he is taking a risk on On, a Swiss company with no established history in soccer, to help construct something that still does not exist.

The Nike cleats that followed Kylian Mbappé’s transformation

Mbappé was wearing the Nike Mercurial Superfly IV when he made his Monaco debut against Caen on December 2, 2015. He was only 16 years and 347 days old, becoming the youngest first-team player in the club’s history at the time and breaking a record previously held by Thierry Henry.

Those cleats belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature family. Mbappé had grown up with posters of the Portuguese star covering the walls of his bedroom, and he was beginning his own career in the same speed-focused Nike line worn by his idol. He did not score that night, but less than three months later he became Monaco’s youngest goalscorer.

By the following season, the child wearing his hero’s cleats had become one of Europe’s most exciting players. Mbappé scored 26 goals in all competitions, helped Monaco win its first Ligue 1 title in 17 years and carried the club to the Champions League semifinals. The Nike Mercurial was no longer simply Ronaldo’s cleat; it was becoming associated with the teenager chasing him.

The transformation became complete at the 2018 World Cup. Wearing the Mercurial Superfly 360 from Nike’s white “Just Do It” collection, the 19-year-old scored four goals, including one in the final against Croatia. He became the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final and returned to France as a champion.

Nike eventually gave Mbappé something Ronaldo could no longer provide: a design centered entirely on his own story. His first signature cleat, the Mercurial Superfly 7 “Bondy Dreams,” arrived in 2019. Its graphics referenced Bondy and the 93 area code of Seine-Saint-Denis, turning the place where his dream began into something children around the world could wear.

Three years later, Mbappé wore the copper-colored Mercurial Superfly 9 during another historic World Cup. He scored eight goals in Qatar, including a hat trick in the final against Argentina, and won the Golden Boot despite France’s painful defeat. The boy who once wanted to become Ronaldo was now producing moments no other player had achieved on that stage.

His move to Real Madrid in 2024 brought the story even closer to his childhood vision. Nike marked the beginning of that chapter with another signature Mercurial, but the most symbolic pair arrived in August 2026. The golden Superfly 11 celebrated Mbappé’s latest achievement as the World Cup’s record goalscorer. It also became the final Nike cleat of his career.

For nearly 20 years, each pair reflected a different version of Mbappé: the boy from Bondy, Monaco’s fearless teenager, France’s young world champion, PSG’s all-time leading scorer and, finally, Real Madrid’s established star. The Nike logo remained on Kylian’s feet as he forged his path.

Why Mbappé is leaving the familiar to build something new

There is no verified public figure showing exactly how much Mbappé earned from Nike. The financial value of his agreement with On has also not been disclosed, and neither side has revealed what percentage of the company he will own. What has been confirmed is that the contract includes both cash and equity, making him a shareholder rather than only a paid ambassador.

That distinction explains the attraction. Mbappé will work directly with On’s product teams in Zurich to develop and test future soccer cleats and apparel. He will bring the perspective of a player who has competed at the highest level into decisions about how the products look, feel and perform.

“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” Mbappé said. “I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create, push what’s possible through innovation, and always stay true to the joy of football.”

Founded in the Swiss Alps in 2010, On made its name in running through its distinctive CloudTec soles before expanding into tennis with Roger Federer, another former Nike athlete who became an investor. The company has never been a major force in soccer and plans to release its first cleats in 2027.

Its proposed difference is LightSpray, a robotic manufacturing process that creates the upper part of a shoe by spraying one continuous filament. On wants to adapt the technology to produce soccer cleats that are exceptionally light, precise and close to the foot like a second skin. Thierry Henry, whose Monaco record Mbappé broke in his debut, will guide the project as On’s director of soccer.

The connection closes a remarkable circle. Henry was there symbolically at the beginning of Mbappé’s professional journey, and now he will be there as the French star begins another. Mbappé is leaving a company that already helped him make history for one that is asking him to help create its own.

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