On Wednesday, adidas welcomed Lionel Messi to Miami with an unparalleled entourage that sailed through the Port of Miami ahead of his first Inter Miami CF match, celebrating the arrival of the Argentinian star to North America.
As part of the brand's support of soccer in the United States, adidas is investing in the next generation of athletes with the expansion of Just Ball League into the Miami community.
With a heightened demand and increased interest for soccer in the United States, adidas is proud to help bring to life the highly anticipated Women's World Cup and matches between the top European clubs during their United States tours this summer.
MIAMI, July 20, 2023 - With a historic Women's World Cup, several of Europe's top soccer clubs visiting the United States and Lionel Messi's highly anticipated start in the MLS, the growth of soccer is in full effect. Overall soccer participation is a prime driver of this growth, with a 300 percent increase in the U.S. in the past 40 years. To carry the momentum, adidas is excited to announce several ongoing moments and investments that will help grow and inspire the next generation of soccer and the culture born with it.
Messi Comes to Miami
The growth of soccer in the U.S. has come with a heightened appreciation and demand for top talent. This demand is what's led one of the greatest soccer players of all time to join the U.S.' top professional league. Not since fellow adidas athlete David Beckham joined the MLS back in 2007 has there been such an anticipation for a global athlete coming to the U.S. Messi's arrival to the MLS brings a top Latino icon into the American soccer landscape, infusing excitement into the one of the world's most avid soccer communities. adidas is honored to continue championing Messi as he enters this new stage of his career.
This week, adidas ushered in a new era of soccer in Miami and the broader U.S. ahead of Messi's first match with Inter Miami CF tomorrow, July 21. Sailing through the Port of Miami, an entourage of adidas-branded vehicles including a cargo ship, boats and helicopters decked out in Inter Miami CF pink in celebration. Once the ship docked, crates full of Messi jerseys, soccer balls and more were loaded onto trucks and distributed to communities throughout Miami for fans to enjoy.
Seeing local communities rally around Messi's arrival is proof that the impact of his presence in the U.S. goes beyond his inevitable contributions to Inter Miami CF – it's the journey of a boy from Rosario, Argentina, welcomed by a city with a large Latino representation embracing soccer on an unprecedented scale.
Investment in the Next Generation
When it's accessible and equitable, adidas believes sport has the power to change lives and is excited to announce the expansion of the Just Ball League, the brand's collaborative effort with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to provide free neighborhood youth soccer leagues in communities throughout New York City and Los Angeles, to Miami.
The expansion builds on adidas' existing efforts to remove barriers to the sport and level the playing field for low-income households and Black and Brown youth. By leveraging the mini-pitch infrastructure adidas and the U.S. Soccer Foundation have created over the past six years, Just Ball League will provide free, competitive soccer leagues in state-of-the-art, safe and accessible spaces for the next generation of athletes in Miami to hone their skills and experience all the benefits of sport.
adidas believes sport has the power to change lives, and Just Ball League is one of the many ways adidas is uniting people from diverse backgrounds and experiences through sport.
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
As a global brand synonymous with soccer, adidas is proud to support the 2023 Women's World Cup and its high-performing athletes from our partnered federations by providing dynamic bespoke away kits and the official match ball of the tournament.
Drawing on inspiration from Australia and New Zealand's iconic landscapes, the kits weave together nature-inspired looks with adidas' best-in-class performance technology. With more eyes than ever on the tournament this summer, the kits are in high demand by fans across the world as they cheer on their favorite teams and athletes, with each jersey lending itself well to personalized styling and fashion. Fans can purchase the kits via adidas.com.
adidas' campaign for the U.S. Women's National Team highlights the seven adidas athletes who will play significant roles on the team this summer, including captain Lindsey Horan and the rising phenom Trinity Rodman. Featuring fellow adidas athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Candace Parker, who've achieved greatness in their own right, the spot plays on the growth of soccer in the U.S. and the ongoing debate of who the greatest of all time is.
European Soccer and Blokecore Fashion Makes Its Way to the U.S.
Beyond Messi's historic arrival, adidas is also welcoming several of the most prominent European teams to the U.S. for a number of preseason matches in key cities. Fan-favorite teams like Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United are touring the U.S. over a two-week period this month. This year's tour is a testament to the growth of soccer culture in the U.S., as global communities unite here in our backyard to celebrate this historical summer of soccer.
Blokecore fashion, a style referring to a fashion aesthetic that often incorporates vintage soccer-inspired pieces, is setting trends across the U.S. Given adidas' legacy in soccer and Sportswear, there's no surprise there's been an uptick in demand for jerseys and adidas' classic sneakers like the Samba. With celebrities like Jenna Ortega's sporting the look, there's no slowing Blokecore down.
The Summer of Soccer is here — Impossible Is Nothing.
About adidas
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs more than 59,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 22.5 billion in 2022.
About U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation's programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.
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