Can adidas garner Singapore football the attention it deserves?

Singapore football has long found itself competing for attention against some of the world's biggest clubs. On any given weekend, fans are just as likely to be watching Liverpool, Arsenal or Real Madrid as they are the Lions, leaving local football with the challenge of staying culturally relevant in an increasingly global game.

For adidas, however, that isn't a competition to win.

Instead, the sportswear giant believes its new multi-year partnership with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) presents an opportunity to complement fans' love of global football while creating stronger connections to the local game through design, storytelling and shared experiences.

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"We'd see this as complementing rather than competing for attention. Singaporeans love their football, and it's completely normal for fans to follow both global and local football," Chen Ruiyuan, country manager of adidas Singapore, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. He added: 

It's great that the global game is so closely followed and our role is to drive more connections locally.

Rather than relying solely on the appeal of a new jersey, adidas is betting on the matchday experience itself. Chen said fan numbers have been growing in recent years, creating a more energetic atmosphere that players feed off. The brand hopes to build on that momentum by bringing the same quality and technology seen in kits worn by some of the world's leading football federations, making supporting the Lions feel just as exciting as following established football nations.

Yet creating that emotional connection requires more than premium products. According to Chen, one of the biggest barriers isn't accessibility in the traditional sense, but a generational disconnect.

"Many younger Singaporeans don't follow the local team because their parents stopped following over the past 20-plus years," he explained.

As seen in markets such as Hong Kong, strong performances coupled with compelling storytelling can reignite public interest. For Singapore, Chen believes success will come from making those stories more accessible and immersive, while giving supporters new ways to express their fandom beyond the stadium.

That thinking extends to adidas' merchandise strategy. While the new national team jersey starts at SG$99, the brand has also introduced fanwear such as the "Satu Nada" ('one heartbeat') T-shirt, created with local graffiti artist Slac Satu, to encourage supporters to wear their allegiance beyond matchday.

"It's about turning support into an everyday expression of identity, not just merch for matchday," said Chen.

A jersey with a story to tell

For adidas, the new national team kit is also intended to become part of Singapore football's identity.

The all-red home jersey features a woven wave pattern representing the calm surface and relentless undercurrent of Singapore football, while the away jersey revives the Coventry Blue colourway worn during the Lions' victorious 1977 Malaysia Cup campaign, linking today's supporters with one of the nation's most celebrated football moments.

Chen said the goal is for the jersey to evolve into a "living identity" that fans feel ownership over as the community grows.

That same thinking influenced the away jersey's use of the adidas Trefoil, a design element typically reserved for top-tier football federations such as Germany, Argentina and Japan.

"We recognise that club loyalty and national pride are not mutually exclusive," Chen said. "Our approach is to make supporting the national team feel just as culturally relevant and community-driven as following an overseas club."

He added that by elevating Singapore's national team to the same visual standards associated with leading football nations, adidas hopes cheering for the Lions will eventually carry the same emotional significance as supporting overseas clubs.

The jerseys themselves are also designed to serve multiple purposes.

While the home kit prioritises on-pitch performance with adidas' CLIMACOOL+ technology to suit Singapore's climate, the away kit blends performance credentials with lifestyle appeal through its heritage-inspired design.

"We see the jersey as all three," Chen said, referring to performance wear, fan merchandise and lifestyle apparel.

More than 90 minutes

The partnership also extends well beyond international fixtures. Together with FAS, adidas is developing year-round fan activations, enhanced stadium experiences, exclusive content and community engagement initiatives to keep supporters connected between tournament windows.

Its involvement also stretches into the domestic game, with adidas becoming the official match ball supplier for both the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup.

Looking further ahead, Chen said the long-term ambition is to embed the partnership across every level of Singapore football. He noted: 

We feel that a national partnership only truly succeeds if it trickles down to the community.

Plans currently in development include grassroots initiatives that give youth teams access to adidas' global expertise and resources, alongside opportunities for local players and coaches to learn from elite international teams visiting Singapore.

Beyond player development, the brand is also exploring more fan interactions, stadium activities and exclusive content designed to make supporting the Lions feel immersive, engaging and accessible throughout the year.

"We want supporting the Lions to feel immersive, engaging, and accessible for fans of all ages, so that interest in the team carries through the year, not just during major matches," Chen said.

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