Three Stripes for Two-Time World Champion Argentina

Amsterdam/Buenos Aires, 08/10/2001 - adidas, the world’s leading football brand, and the Argentinean Football Federation (AFA) will join forces on the road to the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ as of November 2001. Both partners share a very successful history: Argentina claimed its first World Cup title in 1978, wearing adidas apparel. A completely new Argentinian World Cup™ collection, featuring revolutionary innovations from head to toe, will be launched worldwide in spring 2002.

adidas is the Official Sponsor, the Official Supplier and the Official Licensee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ in Korea and Japan and also of the 2006 World Cup™ in Germany. adidas also equips several top teams for the 2002 Championship: current World and European Champion France, as well as Germany, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Australia, China, South Africa, and newly signed Argentina.

"adidas is the world’s leading football brand. Argentina is one of the world’s leading football nations: Players of Argentina not only dominated the last Under-20 World Championships, but also play a leading role in all major European leagues and clubs," says Humberto Grondona, President of AFA. “Argentina and adidas share a legendary past and a passion for the world’s biggest sport. We have great respect for the achievements of AFA during their long, successful history. Obviously we are genuinely excited about this new long-term partnership with this two-time World Champion,” says Erich Stamminger, member of the Executive Board of adidas-Salomon AG, responsible for Global Marketing. “This partnership again shows our firm commitment to international football. Moreover, it underlines our intention to further develop our business in the Latin American market.”

adidas has been the most prominent brand in international football since the days when founder Adi Dassler made his first pair of football shoes 80 years ago. Through constant dedication to product innovation, adidas succeeded in developing football boots, textiles and accessories that improved the game. adidas is responsible for major equipment improvements in the football industry: replaceable studs, the nylon outsoles with varying degrees of flexibility and, more recently, the revolutionary Predator® football boot with exchangeable TRAXION® elements.

adidas is an official sponsor of all major FIFA tournaments through 2006, such as the FIFA Women's World Cup™ in 2003 and the FIFA World Youth Championship™ in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Besides its involvement with the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, adidas is also an Official Supplier to the UEFA Champions League™ as well as a partner of some important club teams such as UEFA Champions League winner Bayern München, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam, Olympique de Marseille, Newcastle United, Benfica Lissabon and FC River Plate. Besides the top players of the Argentinean national team, such as Pablo Aimar, many of the world’s best football players will be wearing adidas football boots, such as for instance: FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Patrick Kluivert, Alessandro Del Piero, Fabien Barthez and Raúl.