The Esports Foundation (EF) and adidas have announced a major partnership ahead of the debut of the Esports Nations Cup. Under the agreement, adidas will be responsible for designing and manufacturing the uniforms for all national teams participating in the first tournament of this format.
The inaugural ENC will take place on November 2, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Representatives from over 100 countries and territories are expected to participate in the competition. In total, the delegations will include approximately 2,000 esports athletes and coaches.
adidas will serve as the tournament’s global partner and official kit supplier. The brand will create a unique design for each national team, combining elements of national identity with the visual style of an international esports competition. Participants will receive T-shirts and tracksuits, and the first national team jerseys are set to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
adidas’ New Partnership in Esports
The Esports Foundation believes that the partnership with adidas will help highlight ENC’s status as a major international event and bring esports closer to traditional sports culture.
“A national team’s uniform is more than just clothing. It embodies the identity, pride, and aspirations of a country or territory. Together with adidas, we want to give esports athletes the opportunity to represent their countries on the world stage with the same sense of prestige and significance that has long existed in traditional sports,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation.
According to him, the partnership will also help the ENC create memorable moments for national teams and attract new players and fans to esports.
adidas also emphasized the symbolic significance of the athletic uniform. Philip Waller, the company’s senior vice president of brand development, noted that adidas has been creating gear for athletes competing in the world’s biggest events for many years. Now, the company plans to bring that experience to the realm of international esports.
The Esports Nations Cup is set to become a new fixture on the global competition calendar. Unlike most major esports tournaments, the ENC will focus specifically on matches between national teams.
As a reminder, this year at the main ENC event, Ukraine will be represented in nine disciplines: chess, Rocket League, Dota 2, PUBG MOBILE, VALORANT, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. You can view the rosters of the Ukrainian national teams here.