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    On Enters Soccer With Kylian Mbappé: What It Could Mean for the Youth Sports Marketplace

    Cameron KorabBy No Comments10 Mins Read

    Key Takeaways

    • Outdoor soccer reached 16.8 million U.S. participants in 2025, per SFIA, with kids ages 6 to 12 the largest group at 5.5 million.
    • Skechers launched soccer with Harry Kane in 2023 and announced youth and kids boots within a year, a sequence On has not committed to.
    • On’s kids’ running shoes already sell through Dick’s Sporting Goods and Kids Foot Locker, where the Cloud Sky lists at $110.

    On Holding AG (NYSE: ONON), the Zurich-based sportswear company, announced on September 18, 2026 that it is entering soccer with Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappé as a global ambassador who will help develop its product. An On spokesperson told CNN the deal includes cash and equity; its value and length were not disclosed. On plans to launch its first boots in 2027, Reuters reported. For the youth sports marketplace, the announcement leaves three practical questions unanswered: whether a junior boot is coming, what it would cost, and whether On will buy youth sponsorship inventory.

    What On Announced, and What It Left Out

    CNBC described the deal as On’s first signing in the sport and reported that Mbappé’s Nike contract ended in July. According to On’s release, he will work directly with product teams on the development and testing of soccer footwear and apparel.

    Former France and Arsenal forward Thierry Henry was named Director of Football. FC Barcelona’s Sydney Schertenleib, an On training and lifestyle ambassador since December 2025, will help develop product for the women’s game.

    “Football needs new ideas and a challenge to what is possible,” said David Allemann, Founder and co-CEO of On, in the release.

    The release frames the category around the top of the sport. On said it will work with a small, selective group of elite players and adapt its LightSpray manufacturing process to the elite game. It contains no reference to youth product, junior pricing, clubs, leagues, or academies. Its one broader line refers to building connections with communities around the world, with no programs named.

    After boots, On plans to develop kits and eventually lifestyle products, people familiar with the plans told the Financial Times.

    How Challenger Brands Have Reached the Youth Sports Marketplace

    Two challenger brands offer a reference point.

    Skechers launched its soccer line at the start of the 2023/24 season when it signed England captain Harry Kane, according to a July 9, 2024 company release. In that same release, which announced the U.S. launch, Skechers said Youth and Kids boots would follow soon. By July 2025, the company listed Youth and Kids versions of its SKX_2 and Razor boots. Its U.S. website currently shows a youth SKX_2 indoor boot at $45.

    New Balance released a limited-edition Bukayo Saka Furon v8 in December 2025 at $240 for adults and $70 for juniors, per the company’s release.

    On has not said it will follow either path.

    Where Would Youth Operators Feel It First?

    At retail. On already sells children’s footwear. Its Cloud Sky running shoe is adapted for ages 8 to 15, according to On’s U.S. website, and lists at $110 at Kids Foot Locker. Dick’s Sporting Goods also carries the line. Direct-to-consumer sales made up 45.7% of On’s second-quarter 2026 net sales, per its earnings release. On has not described how it will distribute soccer product.

    In sponsorship inventory. The largest U.S. youth properties are tied to incumbents. adidas is the official supplier for Major League Soccer, its clubs and youth academies, and provides the match ball for MLS NEXT, under a six-year, $830 million extension that runs through 2030, according to the companies’ 2023 announcement and Sportico. Nike has sponsored the Elite Clubs National League’s girls’ league since 2010. On has announced no youth soccer partnerships. It reported CHF 850.3 million in second-quarter net sales and a 65.4% gross margin.

    On price. Outdoor soccer reached 16.8 million U.S. participants in 2025, up 15.8% from 2024, and children ages 6 to 12 are the largest group at 5.5 million, per the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46% since 2019, according to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play parent survey.

    A Premium Brand, $1,016 Families, and a Junior Boot Nobody Has Priced

    Investors gave the announcement a short window. On shares rose 5.6% in premarket trading on September 18, per Investing.com, and were down slightly in morning trading, Yahoo Finance reported.

    Jefferies, which rates the stock Underperform with a $20 target, said the deal may show On needs to spend more to sustain growth and called soccer among the most expensive categories to enter, per Stocktwits. Evercore ISI, at Outperform with a $40 target, views the push as a potential catalyst.

    Skechers announced youth boots within a year of launching its soccer line. On’s first elite boot is planned for 2027, and the company has not said whether a junior size comes with it.

    YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.

    About Youth Sports Business Report

    Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.

    How big is the youth sports market?

    American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).

    How many kids play youth sports in the United States?

    Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.

    Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?

    Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.

    What does YSBR cover?

    YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.

    Youth Sports Business Report resources

    • Newsletter: Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the most-read newsletter on the business of youth sports, delivering curated youth sports industry news and analysis to thousands of industry leaders every week.
    • Research: Read the Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, an exclusive YSBR and Kinetica Group analysis of market size, parent spending, and marketplace opportunities.
    • Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
    • Services: Find vetted partners and solutions for your organization in the YSBR Services Hub, connecting youth sports operators, brands, and investors with verified providers across the industry.
    • About: Learn more about Youth Sports Business Report and our editorial standards.

    Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR): LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack

    Check out Jr. Sports Marketing on YouTube or Spotify

    Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.

    Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered

    Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.

    How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.

    What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.

    Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.

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    YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.

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