The National Women’s Soccer League has reportedly extended its partnership with Nike through the 2022 season.
Nike’s role as the league’s official uniform, apparel and equipment provider was due to expire at the end of the 2019 season but, according to The Equalizer, a new deal was negotiated earlier this year.
The renewal opens the door for FC Barcelona to enter a team in the league. The LaLiga giants are eager to become the first European club to set up a women’s team in the US but the stumbling block has been Barça’s own partnership Nike, which runs through 2023.
Xavier O’Callaghan, the managing director of FC Barcelona’s New York office, told the Sports Decision Makers Summit in Miami last week, that the hold-up remains the club’s insistence of having a sponsorship exemption in the NWSL. This means that FC Barcelona’s NWSL team would always wear Nike kits regardless of who the league partners with going forward.
With the NWSL extending its deal with Nike, FC Barcelona may be more inclined to enter a team.