Portugal stunned the world on Sunday, winning its first UEFA European Championship against host country France. In overtime play, forward Éder, subbing in for injured team captain Christiano Ronaldo, scored a low shot against French goalkeeper Hugo Loris to give Portugal a 1-0 lead and ultimately bring home the crown.
The widely watched Euro Cup final was also a victory for the Nike brand, which sponsored both of the competing teams.
“We are very proud to have seen two Nike teams playing the European final in Paris, and we congratulate Portugal for its achievement,” said Bert Hoyt, VP & GM of Nike Western Europe, in a statement. “Portugal demonstrated tremendous team spirit and resilience today to achieve victory in spite of the loss of their captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The game marks a terrific summer for Nike Football and confirms our global leadership in the most popular game.”
According to the brand, more than 60 percent of all the players who competed in the Euro Cup were wearing Nike boots.
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One of its most popular styles is the Mercurial, which was updated earlier this year and features a new spike plate mapped to the natural contours of the foot.
The Mercurial cleat was a big success at the 2016 European tournament. Nike reported that the boot was responsible for a total of 35 goals — including the winning shot by Éder, who was sporting the Mercurial Vapor XI style.
And Ronaldo, who is considered the face of the Mercurial, found the net seven times during the Euro Cup, making him the tournament’s joint top scorer of all time.
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