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Before Argentina and Colombia took the pitch, the Three Stripes already secured the W.
adidas‘ stake in football is undeniable, dating back to the 1954 World Cup Final when Three Stripes founder Adi Dassler implemented removable studs to the boots of West Germany’s squad leading them to a David-and-Goliath-like victory over Hungary.
In the 70 years that have followed, the German-based brand has been at the forefront of football’s most iconic moments, teams, innovations, and more.
The 2024 Copa América is no different.
On July 14, Argentina and Colombia will face each other on the pitch in Miami, representing South American football excellence and adidas’ reign in international football as the Three Stripes power both national teams in what might be the brand’s most football-influential year in over a decade.
Here’s how adidas already won Copa América.
The Faces of adidas Football
Both Argentina and Colombia are chasing history on Sunday.
La Albiceleste is striving for its 16th Copa América title as the defending Copa América and World Cup champions also look to secure their third-straight international trophy with the help of Lionel Messi.
On the other side of the ball are Luis Díaz and Los Cafeteros, who have gone on a 28-game unbeaten streak, the most by any national team. As their eyes land on their second-ever Copa América title and their 29th unbeaten game, Colombia will face the team it last lost to — Argentina.
Messi, the GOAT and face of adidas Football, and Díaz, the Liverpool star and modern face of the Three Stripes, are exemplars of the generational talent that adidas holds, squaring off on one of the game’s grandest stages.
Product Meets Performance
With the CONMEBOL Copa América and UEFA European Championship tournaments taking place this summer, adidas strategically re-energized the adidas Predator and F50 boot lines.
The adidas Predator 30, an icon introduced in 1994 and worn by the world’s best, and the adidas F50, debuted around the 2004 Euros, have been at the center of adidas’ on-pitch strategy with Copa América being another monumental platform for the brand to showcase its football innovations.
The F50, specifically, launched before the summer tournaments and was re-released in honor of the boot franchise’s legacy that was cemented in the 2010 World Cup with the help of Messi and other Three Stripes athletes.
“We’re not trying to be anyone else; we’re trying to be authentically and iconically adidas,” Sam Handy, adidas Football’s SVP of Design & Product, told Nice Kicks earlier this summer. “What gets more authentic now than the return of F50, the best cleat franchise in the industry, coming to life on players like [Lionel] Messi or Rafael Leao, or Trinity Rodman.”
Not only did the F50 return but it made a statement all tournament long as the brand also introduced the adidas F50+, a re-engineered version of the F50 with quicker and lighter performance benefits, such as the forefoot Lightstrike Pro foam pod.
Additionally, the brand collaborated with Messi to release the adidas F50 “Triunfo Dorado” boot, inspired by Messi’s F50 Prime boot from his highly successful 2014/15 campaign for club and country.
The “Triunfo Dorado” was more than just an extension of the F50 legacy but allowed fans to own a boot tailored to Messi’s specifications for the first time, giving fans an experience like never before.
The Impact of Copa América on The United States of America
While Copa América has historically been a South American-only tournament, the integration of North American and Asian teams since the 1990s has grown the game and heightened the competitive nature of the tournament.
In 2016, for its centennial tournament, the United States participated once more but hosted for the first time in tournament history. Almost a decade later and ahead of the 2026 World Cup (hosted by all of North America), the States are host once more.
With Messi’s MLS takeover in Miami since last summer, the U.S. has climbed on the radar of football with the summer tournament being the country’s latest accolade in the football landscape.
As Messi’s Argentina and Díaz’s Colombia play for honor and history, the U.S. will be the venue with the tournament’s aura fueling the football fire within the 50 states.
How adidas is Pushing Culture Through Copa América
The modern football era has witnessed an unprecedented cultural renaissance.
While sneaker culture and streetwear have occasionally crossed paths with football, the last decade has witnessed players, clubs, and brands embrace each other like never before.
This summer’s Copa América is yet another illustration.
Before the tournament kicked off, the Three Stripes was already making a statement with the two national teams who will contest one another in the final.
For Argentina, adidas celebrated the national team in several ways.
First, its warm-up gear was a bold reminder of the national team’s recent World Cup glory with a three-star design motif that no one — fans nor opponents — can ignore. The home kit kept its historic essence with the simple white and blue stripes. Adding a touch of excellence, the Three Stripes on the right chest is dipped in gold, once more celebrating the team’s latest World Cup victory.
The away kit was executed with an eye-catching ethos as a two-toned blue look captivated the ensemble in lucid blue with a lighter hue finish across the crest, Three Stripes branding, and other details.
As for Colombia, adidas embodied the country’s high-spirited nature with a fully-fledged warm-up capsule that no one could take their eyes off of.
A combination of cream yellow and stone red adorned Colombia’s adidas Originals range with a tee, warm-up pants, jackets, and adidas Gazelle. Rather than completing the range with the minimalist Three Stripes logo, the collection incorporated the iconic Trefoil logo.
Instead of working from a template, adidas played to each country’s soul and strengths whether on or off the pitch, typifying adidas’ ability to push a cultural envelope through sport.
The Copa América Final is Another Trophy for adidas’ Football Legacy
In 1994, the United States hosted its first-ever World Cup and opened the football floodgates in America in an unprecedented fashion.
In the decades that have followed, the U.S. has exponentially evolved into a football country.
At the international level, the USWNT is a dynasty entering a new, younger era and the USMNT is at an exciting period with an abundance of talent. At the domestic level, MLS’ reputation has grown with young talent and international stars and the NWSL continues to showcase why it’s the best women’s football league.
The 1994 World Cup and the football that has followed since have aided America’s aspirational success for club and country.
While the 2026 World Cup will inarguably push football to a new frenzy, the 2024 Copa América has already made an impression, and the highly-anticipated final will be the perfect bookend for football’s broadening in America with the help of adidas Football.
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