The Real World Cup Final Isn’t France Vs. Croatia, It’s Nike Vs. Adidas

Soccer fans cover your eyes. The real match in the FIFA World Cup’s final game in Moscow on Sunday isn’t France vs. Croatia. It’s Nike vs. Adidas. The international soccer tournament has become a commercial dream for sportswear companies — a platform for some of the world’s biggest brands to duke it out for the estimated 1 billion fans watching the once-every-four-year championship. Both Nike and Adidas generally keep quiet about their ad spending for the World Cup. Analysts estimate Adidas likely spent close to $100 million on sponsorship in 2014 — when Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in overtime. Nike also reported a 36 percent surge in marketing costs that year with much of it attributed to the World Cup. Read more at CNBC.