A Brief History of Real Madrid's 33-Year Partnership with Adidas

Real Madrid's 2024-25 campaign didn't go according to plan. Injuries to key players and a toughening of other La Liga squads have all but guaranteed that Los Blancos will end the season with no significant silverware.

Regardless of who fans blame for the club's struggles over the last eight months, it's important to note that if the Spanish side has been disappointing this season, it's in part because of how extensive its winning legacy is.

Founded on March 6, 1902 as Madrid Football Club, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol has been dominating the beautiful game for decades. Icons the likes of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo have represented the team throughout the years, leaving their marks in the form of dozens of trophies. Current players like Judge Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. have already contributed to the title cabinet, with Kylian Mbappé looking to follow in the footsteps of CR7 and others.

Ahead of the club's match against Celta Vigo, we at House of Heat° realized something: 33 out of Real Madrid's 123 years of history have been spent rocking Adidas kits.

If you're a diehard Madrista, you're likely familiar with the entirety of Los Blancos' kit history. There's no discrediting the work that Umbro, Mont-halt, and Hummel did throughout the club's history, but the Three Stripes' association to some of Real Madrid's most important moments and ubiquity cannot be denied.

As the current La Liga campaign winds down and the Spanish team preps for the FIFA Club World Cup, we've decided to take a trip down memory lane to look at the Real Madrid x Adidas partnership. To see what's available now from the storied relationship, head over to Adidas.com/Real_Madrid or the Official Real Madrid Shop.

May 27, 1981

Following a 20-year stint between Mont-halt and Umbro, Los Merengues gave German sportswear giant, Adidas, a shot at outfitting it. As with other kits of the era, the history of the debut Three Stripes uniform for Real Madrid isn't widely-documented, but the club itself published a sketch of the shirt on its website.

Not to be mistaken for sponsor-less, V-neck-donning shirts by Mont-halt, the first Real Madrid shirt produced by the German institution distinguished itself from past looks via the purplish-blue stripes on the sleeves, lines at the arm pits, and embroidered trefoil logo on the chest's right side.

The shirt debuted in Paris during the 1981 European Cup final. Carlos Alonso González and Juan Gómez González—also known as Santillana and Juanito, respectively—alongside their teammates took on England's Liverpool F.C. Although the Spanish side lost 0-1, the squad was loved by Madristas of all ages.

By the following season, Los Blancos would be off to winning silverware while wearing Adidas gear.

1982-83

Prior to 1982, all of Real Madrid's uniforms had been without a sponsor at the center of their shirts. Zanussi, the Italian home appliance manufacturer, changed that.

Throughout the next 43 years, the Spanish institution's Adidas-branded kits have gone through a number of different shirt sponsors, but Zanussi kicked things off.

1985-86

The club welcomes the 1985-86 campaign with a new shirt sponsor. Kits produced by the German juggernaut would no longer feature Zanussi on the front. Instead, Real Madrid onboarded Parmalat as its main kit sponsor.

With trefoil logos on the chest's right side and 3-Stripes branding down the sleeves, the shirt was simple, but classy. The polo collar also contributed to the aesthetic.

Today, the shirt would fit in with the Adidas Originals division's fashion-focused reissues from its archives.

May 24, 2000

The club's Home shirt design from the previous campaign lasted more than one season. This decision has gone down in history as it's forever linked to Real Madrid as the 21st century's first Champions League winner.

Worn by the likes of Raúl and Roberto Carlos, the Teka-sponsored jerseys have long been celebrated by fans, with some acquiring it through vintage shops throughout the years.

As part of its Spring 2025 offerings, Adidas reissued both Home and Away kits from the 1999-2000 campaign. Part of a Bring Back program, both shirts faithfully fall in line with the shirts worn in the run towards the club's eighth Champions League trophy.

You can shop the Real Madrid Bring Back Line online and in-store.

2001

Regardless of who you consider the best footballer of all-time, it's possible your pick's pick is Zinedine Zidane.

The attacking midfielder joined La Liga from Serie A, having spent five years with Juventus. Having already wowed global audiences with France's National Team, Zizou was at the top of the game in the early aughts.

Zidane joined Real Madrid during the club's Galácticos era, a period of time during which Florentino Perez sought to sign a global superstar every year. In his first season with the team, the Frenchmen helped win a Champions League trophy.

He joined during a transitional period for the club's kit. While still produced by Adidas, shirts alternated between featuring the team's website on the chest to nothing at all. Nevertheless, what was lacking in shirt design was made up for in results.

Additionally, Zidane contributed to Adidas Football's boot ubiquity, rocking classically-colored pairs from the Predator series. To shop current product from this line, visit Adidas.com/Predator.

July 3, 2003

David Beckham's move to Real Madrid from his boyhood club, Manchester United, came as a surprise to everyone but Sir Alex Ferguson. If you've watched Netflix's Beckham, you might understand the decision to transfer the English icon, but it doesn't make the move any less surprising.

Nevertheless, Beckham's time in Madrid proved beneficial to both the midfielder and Spanish side. Real Madrid was certainly a global institution by the time Becks arrived, but his celebrity—helped by his marriage to Victoria Beckham—helped the club gain unprecedented attention—especially throughout Asia. As such, Adidas sold a large amount of 23-stamped jerseys.

Beckham also signed a lifetime deal with the Three Stripes in 2003. Today, his Inter Miami team is outfitted by Adidas. Shirts of the MLS club can be found via Adidas.com right now.

2007-08

If you've never followed the sport, it's likely you look at the picture above with an apathetic look, but some of the game's most iconic players of the last 20 years are pictured rocking an Adidas-branded Real Madrid shirt.

One such issue that's "plagued" the club for years is the idea of too much star power, specifically within the attacking positions. Nevertheless, folks the likes of Raúl, Arjen Robben, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Robinho worked together to bring home Real Madrid's 30th La Liga title.

July 6, 2009

After six years with Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Real Madrid. At the time, the Portuguese superstar's move set the world record for a transfer with its £80 million fee.

According to Ronaldo, playing for Los Blancos was his boyhood dream. As history tells it, he'd go on to help the club return to its winning ways throughout the next nine years.

Although that year's Adidas shirt was on the simpler side, the forward's impact on the club—and footballing world-at-large—would be anything but that.

2011-12

Under José Mourinho's guidance, Real Madrid had a stellar 2011-12 season.

Spanish press went on to dub the campaign as La Liga de los Recórds as the men in white broke a number of long-standing records from Spain's top football division.

Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed club legend, Ferenc Puskás, as the player to reach 100 goals in La Liga's history the fastest. He also became the first player to score against all 19 opposition squads in a single season.

As a collective, Real Madrid set a new points record. Historic rivals, FC Barcelona, had achieved a 99-point season between 2009-10. Mourinho's men got into the mythical triple-digit range, sending the 11-12 La Liga season with 100 total points. Additionally, the club recorded 121 goals, with 60 of those coming from CR7.

It's a coincidence that the team achieved all this while wearing a gold-accented and bwin-branded Home kit, but it makes sense.

May 24, 2014

The Madrid Derby has provided exciting moments throughout the decades, but its setup in the 2014 Champions League Final might top the list.

The last time Real Madrid had lifted the tournament's trophy had been in 2002, and its Atlético Madrid rivals were not keen on making it easy for the club to end its draught.

An early-ish goal by Diego Godín was enough to crush the hopes of many fans of Los Blancos. A header by Sergio Ramos in the third minute of stoppage time sent the match to extra time. Over the next 30 minutes, three other members of Carlo Ancelotti's men scored, leading to a 4-1 victory.

Folks in attendance at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal got to witness Real Madrid lift its 10th Champions League title.

December 20, 2014

If you'd been following the club before 2014, you'd likely gotten in the occasional argument defending Real Madrid as football's greatest team. The number of titles won and caliber of players developed could've supported your opinion in previous years, but FIFA's Club World Cup left little space for counter-arguments.

Foals from Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale secured the victory over Argentina's San Lorenzo de Almagro. The win allowed Real Madrid to boast a special golden patch on its Adidas shirts, denoting the club as the best in the world.

June 3, 2017

Who would've known that Cristiano Ronaldo would leave Real Madrid soon after helping it become the first club to twin two consecutive Champions League tournaments?

The squad's Home kit for the 2016-17 season was likable enough, but it didn't pop as much as the club's purple Away uniform.

Images of CR7 in the purple long-sleeve remain engraves in many Real Madrid fans' memories almost eight years later. A decisive 4-1 victory over Serie A's Juventus cemented the purple Adidas kit in history. (A Terrace Icons Collection by Adidas Originals mentioned ahead features a similar shade of the regal hue.)

July 1, 2020

Global pandemic aside, 2020 was a big year for the century-old footballing institution, as it established Real Madrid Femenino.

A Women's counterpart to the popular Men's side, the team would also be sponsored by Adidas. For its inaugural kit, the squad kept things simple, with the most notable detail arriving in the form of vibrant pink accents on the sides of the shirt and shorts, and top of the socks.

Since then, the women have more or less gotten the same uniforms as the Men's team.

May 28, 2022

European tournaments without the presence of Los Merengues are strange. Two years removed from the peak of a global pandemic, Real Madrid lifted its 14th orejona against the Premier League's Liverpool.

With Emirates on the center of the shirt, Adidas' 2021-22 Home jersey for its Spanish partner donned near-fluorescent orange accents around the collar, sleeve hems, and torso 3-Stripes logo.

Karim Benzema was a joy to watch during this run.

June 1, 2024

Heading into the 2023-24 Champions League tournament, Borussia Dortmund was far from being the favorites to win it all. And yet, it was the German side that faced Real Madrid in London's legendary Wembley Stadium come June 2024.

La Liga's representative won the match 2-0, with Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr. putting the sphere in the back of the net.

As for the kit, Real Madrid went with its Home uniform. Classic white, yellow, and black shared real estate across the Adidas-backed shirt. The tri-colored offering has been one of the better-received designs of recent memory, thanks to its straightforwardness. Oh, and the fact it was present during the club's 15th Champions League trophy.

2024-25

Los Merengues currently sit second in La Liga. To some spectators, the change from last season's Home kit to the current one captures how the campaign has panned out: lack-luster.

As has been the case in the past, Real Madrid may debut a special edition uniform for the Club World Cup, which begins on Wednesday, June 18.

Official figures for the number of Home shirts sold haven't been disclosed to the public by either the club or its German manufacturing partner, but it's very likely the upwards-of-one-million-units trend has contunued over the last season.

To shop the white-and-black Home shirt, head over to Adidas.com right now. Pricing ranges from $80 to $120.

Throughout the last eight months, fans have celebrated Real Madrid's third kit for the 24-25 campaign. Akin to other Three Stripes-sponsored clubs, the Spanish side's third shirt featured a heritage design under the Adidas Originals banner.

At quick glance, the grey-and-white kit seems dull, but closer inspection reveals a number of elegant details that've helped the shirt sell out on the manufacturer's website.

Terrace Icons and VRCT (read: "Varsity") collections also found success amongst Los Blancos' fanbase.

Prepped by the German sportswear giant's Originals division, each range delivered familiar, but elevated styles for off-the-pitch wear. The former collection also produced a pair of the popular Adidas Gazelle.