Vinicius Jr Trains in Total White Boots - Wants to Terminate Nike Deal
Update: From blackout to whiteout. Vinicius Jr has today trained in total white Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 football boots customized by @swithadot. They come without visible Swooshs but with a small black VJR logo - His contract with Nike is not officially over, but as he is unhappy with how the brand treats him and wants to terminate the deal, so he wears "unbranded" shoes.
Vinicius Jr Trains in Whiteout Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 Soccer Cleats
Update: Vinícius Júnior may not be wearing Nike shoes for much longer. The Real Madrid star winger wore customly blacked-out Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 cleats for the first half of Thursday's match against Valencia FC, having relied on the old-gen Volt Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 boots since October last year.
Vinicius Jr Blackout Nike Mercurial Football Boots For Valencia La Liga Match
Vinicius Jr put his well-known old-gen "Volt" Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 soccer cleats back on for the second half after an average performance in the first.
The 22-year-old Brazilian still has a contract with Nike until 2028, but his lawyers are working to end the relationship as soon as possible, and the split may already be complete.
Puma Favorites to Sign Vinicius Jr?
This news has sparked interest from other sportswear companies, particularly Puma, who has reportedly shown interest in signing the striker. Real Madrid's partner, Adidas, is also said to be closely monitoring the situation.
December 2022: Vinicius Jr Takes Legal Action to Terminate Nike Deal - Unhappy With Nike's Treatment
Vinicius Junior wants to terminate his contract with Nike as he is unhappy with how the brand treat him.
Vinicius Jr to Terminate Nike Contract
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr is under contract with Nike until 2028 but is reportedly trying to cancel the deal over what he sees as poor treatment by the American brand. He has been sponsored by Nike since he was 13 years old but has allegedly hired lawyers to help him get out of the deal.
Vinicius Jr has been wearing older models of the Mercurial line at the World Cup and also for Real Madrid in previous months, seemingly in protest of what he considers unfair treatment. AS report that Nike's decision not to include him in certain advertising campaigns - which featured his teammates Richarlison and Rodrygo - is the main motivating factor in his desire to leave Nike, rather than any financial undervaluation. Vinicius Jr would be the second high profile Brazilian departure from the Swoosh after Neymar's switch to Puma a couple of years ago.
Do you think he is right to feel underappreciated by Nike? Should Nike try to reconcile with the player and keep him under contract? Let us know in the comments.
