By

Bloomberg

Published

June 26, 2026

On Holding AG is working on football products as the Swiss brand looks to expand from its running roots and maintain its fast growth.

On

The brand is “absolutely” interested in entering the football sector and believes its LightSpray robotic shoemaking technology will be an advantage, co-founder Olivier Bernhard said in an interview at the company’s Zurich headquarters.

The Roger Federer-backed company has grown rapidly since its 2010 founding, starting with innovative and comfortable running shoes and expanding into tennis, training and outdoor sports. It’s also pushing to increase its revenue from apparel products, both from sports and also as lifestyle offerings.

While football has long been the world’s most popular sport, it’s grown even more as a source of lifestyle and fashion items in recent years for competitors like Adidas AG, Nike Inc. and Puma SE. The brands are currently seeing a spike in sales with football shirts from teams they sponsor in the World Cup.

On’s initial foray into football came in December when it signed Swiss teenage star Sydney Schertenleib, who plays for FC Barcelona, to collaborate on products geared toward training and lifestyle.

“We have already shown the world that we are interested in entering the sport,” Bernhard said Thursday. “It’s only a secret who’s going to come next,” he said of On’s potential signings.

Thierry Henry, a former star player in the French national team and for Arsenal in the English Premier League, has repeatedly posted images of himself on social media clad in On clothing in the past year.

On is expanding its LightSpray robotic manufacturing to widen the technology’s use from high-end marathon shoes to more mass-market products.

The company is planning another factory in Vietnam to open as soon as this year, and is also working on potential sites in the US and later in Europe, Caspar Coppetti, co-chief executive officer, said in a separate interview. It opened a factory in South Korea earlier this year.

LightSpray technology also “makes sense on a soccer boot,” Bernhard said.