Reggae Girlz
(from left) Allyson
Swaby, Khadija
“Bunny” Shaw
and Drew Spence
model Jamaica’s
adidas home kit.
(Photo: Adidas Media)
With adidas extending its partnership with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) through to 2034, JFF President Michael Ricketts believes it signals the country’s success in the sport and the strength of Brand Jamaica.
The adidas four-year contract, signed in 2022, was set to expire at the end of December but Ricketts revealed to the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday that the JFF signed a new eight-year deal with the German sports apparel giants, even without the guarantee of the Reggae Boyz qualifying for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Although the financial details have not been disclosed, the Observer has learnt that the deal is set to eclipse the previous contract, potentially earning the JFF more than $3 billion, in addition to royalties from kit sales. The sponsorship would be one of the most lucrative in the region, joining the likes of USA, Mexico and Canada.
The deal will provide both cash and equipment which will serve all of Jamaica’s senior and junior teams as well as its various initiatives.
Ricketts believes the national programme has done enough to warrant a long-term commitment from adidas.
“I remember when we just started negotiations, it took us three full years to convince adidas that we were ready for them and, right through COVID, I think the negotiations started in 2018 and [were] completed in 2021,” he told the Observer.
“Having come back to us now and to agree to sign, not just for four years, but we have actually signed a contract for eight years, with incremental increases from cash to apparel. So, it says a lot for the level of confidence that they would have had in us and we want to qualify some teams to ensure that they would get their pound of flesh.”
Having experienced it first-hand, Ricketts says the island’s global impact is a key reason for Adidas’ extended partnership.
“Jamaica is a brand and they are just super excited and they have always compared our sales with other bigger countries and they have always thought that our products, have always outsold bigger countries than us,” he said.
“I just came through the airport in Miami. I had on a shirt marked Jamaica and the pilot just walked up to me and said “wah gwaan”. This is a white man who probably has never even been to Jamaica but he saw me in my Jamaican shirt and really had to laugh. It just underlines how much of a brand we are.”
The deal cements Jamaica’s status as of Adidas’ biggest sellers, joining the likes of reigning World Cup Champions Argentina, four-time World Cup champions Germany and 2010 World Cup Champions Spain.
Jamaica’s kit has gone viral internationally since the Adidas sponsorship with Arsenal legend Ian Wright, Spain and Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal and American movie star Samuel L Jackson among the high-profile figures to showcase it.
Adidas was also seen on the world stage in 2023 when the Reggae Girlz qualified for the knockout stages of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia. It’s expected to be on display in Qatar in November when Jamaica competes at the Under-17 Men’s World Cup. Last month, Adidas partnered with the JFF and the Bob and Rita Marley Foundations to launch a special Bob Marley Collection, honouring the late reggae legend’s love for football.
A close-up look at Jamaica’s Adidas away jersey. (Photo: Adidas Media)
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in Adidas kits (Photo:: JFF)
RICKETTS… it says a lot for the level of confidence that they would have had in us (Photo: Joseph Wellington)
The World Cup-bound Reggae Boyz Under-17 team wearing their Adidas tracksuits. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
