Today, Swiss sportswear brand On announces its entry into football alongside football champion Kylian Mbappé, marking the beginning of the brand’s journey into the world’s biggest sport. On is bringing a fresh perspective to football – that the game is more beautiful when you can focus on the simple joy of play, enhanced through product innovation and meaningful connections with communities around the world. Thierry Henry, who has been working behind the scenes with the brand on every aspect of its entry and product approach since late 2025, has been announced as Director of Football.
Since launching in 2010, On has grown from a new challenger in running into one of the world’s leading sportswear brands by rethinking performance – from CloudTec® to LightSpray™ – through athlete insight, Swiss engineering, and distinctive design. Now, On is applying that same formula to football: working closely with a highly selective line-up of elite players to rethink product for the demands of the game while bringing a new energy to the culture that surrounds it.
A World Champion and the reigning World Cup record goal scorer, Kylian Mbappé will be at the heart of On’s football journey, uniting one of football’s defining players with one of sportswear’s most innovative brands. Bringing his reading of the game, forged at the highest level and backed by extraordinary statistics, he will work directly with On’s product teams, integrating his elite perspective into the development and testing of future football footwear and apparel. He will also become a global ambassador for On, extending the partnership beyond football into movement, performance, and contemporary design.
“Football doesn’t need another sportswear brand to do more of the same,” says David Allemann, Founder and co-CEO of On. “Football needs new ideas and a challenge to what is possible. When we enter a sport, we want to be the brand of the future – through true innovation and contemporary design. Our ambition is to bring On’s approach to the pitch, the pavement, and the runway – connecting elite performance with the culture that surrounds the game. With Kylian we have the perfect partner to dream what football can become.”
“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” says Kylian Mbappé. “I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create, push what’s possible through innovation, and always stay true to the joy of football. We have a shared dream, and this is only the beginning.”
A New Era of Performance Innovation with LightSpray™
At the heart of On’s approach to sportswear is a culture of innovation and Swiss engineering. It was foundational to the brand’s founding, with CloudTec®, On’s distinctive structurally engineered mid-sole, redefining performance running technology. That same culture of innovation resulted in LightSpray™, On’s proprietary robotic manufacturing technology first introduced in 2024. By creating a performance upper from a continuous sprayed filament, LightSpray™ enables a fundamentally different approach to footwear construction – designed to outperform traditionally manufactured products.
On is now applying the technology to the specific demands of elite football. The development process will be athlete-led from the outset. Elite players will work directly with On’s product teams to test, challenge and refine future football products, combining first-hand experience from the highest level of the game with On’s Swiss engineering and approach to innovation. The ambition is to rethink what football product can be: exceptionally lightweight, precise, and close to the athlete like a second skin.
Bringing Together Forces to Shape the Future of Football
Joining Kylian Mbappé, two further distinctive forces of the elite game are integral to On’s entry into football: Thierry Henry and Sydney Schertenleib. Both bring different points of view to On’s football journey.
Thierry Henry joined On as its new Director of Football. One of the most celebrated players of his generation as a French World Cup winner and Arsenal FC legend, Henry has been working on the brand’s entry into football since late 2025. Drawing on decades at the highest level of the game, he will play a central role in the strategic development of On Football, from product and athlete relationships to how On approaches the culture and future of the sport.
“Building something new in football requires a bold and original approach,” says Thierry Henry. “Over the past year, I’ve seen first-hand the curiosity and attention to detail the team at On brings to that process. We want to listen to players, understand what they need and create something that can genuinely add to the game. I’m proud to be part of shaping what comes next.”
Sydney Schertenleib represents the next generation of football. The Swiss international and FC Barcelona player first joined On in December 2025 as an ambassador for Training and Lifestyle. Her relationship with the brand now expands into football, where she will work directly with On’s teams on product development and testing. Her perspective will help shape products designed for the future of the women’s game.
“I’ve already experienced how differently On thinks about performance and design, so being part of its journey into football feels really exciting,” says Sydney Schertenleib. “As a player, having the opportunity to work directly with On and bring my perspective into the development process is something really special. I can honestly say, I’ve never felt the ball like I have in the product the team is working on.” On’s entry into football is captured through the distinctive lens of world-renowned photographer Juergen Teller, who brings Kylian Mbappé, Henry and Schertenleib into On Labs in Zurich – the heart of the brand’s innovation and product development. Set among the machinery, products and experimentation behind On’s innovation, including the LightSpray™ robot, Teller’s unmistakable visual language brings together the worlds of football, innovation and culture in an unexpected way.