Swiss shoe maker On signs up French football star Mbappé

We’re getting into football, signing Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappé Keystone-SDA

Swiss sports equipment manufacturer On is venturing into football alongside French footballer Kylian Mbappé.

Former France striker Thierry Henry has been appointed to head up this new venture for the Zurich-based firm.

Mbappé, a striker for Real Madrid and regarded as one of the world’s best players, “will work closely with On’s product teams, contributing his expert insight to the development and testing of future football boots and kits”, the Swiss group said. The French player “will also become On’s global ambassador”, having left the American firm Nike.

“With Kylian, we have the ideal partner to envision what football could become,” said co-CEO David Allemann.

Henry, for his part, hopes “to listen to the players, understand their needs and create something that brings a real added value to the game”.

The young Swiss footballer Sydney Schertenleib, who currently plays for FC Barcelona, joined On in December 2025 as a brand ambassador.

Having made a name for itself in athletics, On “is applying this same formula to football: working closely with a highly selective group of elite players to rethink products to meet the demands of the sport, whilst breathing new life into the culture surrounding it”, the company said.

This is not On’s first foray into recruiting sporting stars. In 2009, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, joined the Zurich-based company and also became a shareholder.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.