Puma ends sponsorship deal with Israeli soccer team

Puma will end its kit sponsorship deal with Israel’s national soccer team when its contract expires next year, a decision the sportswear giant said is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war, amid calls for boycotts in the Middle East against companies with business interests linked to Israel.

The decision to end the deal was first reported by the Financial Times, which cited internal documents showing that the German sports apparel brand decided not to renew its contract with the Israel Football Association, Forbes reports.

Puma confirmed the development, saying the decision not to renew was taken as far back as 2022 and is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The company told Reuters that it is also ending its deal with the Serbian national team and will soon unveil two new signees.

Puma described one of the two new signees as a “statement team” and added that the move is part of its “fewer-bigger-better” marketing strategy.

Puma replaced Adidas as the sponsor and maker of the Israeli national team’s uniforms in 2018. The deal made the German sportswear brand a target for boycott movements like the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). On its website, BDS alleges Puma’s sponsorship also covers teams “in Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.” The boycott calls against Puma have intensified since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in response to a terror attack on its territory by Hamas. In response, the company said it “does not support football teams in settlements nor does its Israeli distributor have branches in settlements.” On its page, BDS takes credit for Adidas’ decision to end its sponsorship of the Israeli national team in 2018.