Federer surprises Henry with incredible ball trick: The strategy behind On's football expansion

Hotel corridors before the World Cup say more than any press conference of the summer. But this time, the story comes from a short video released by the brand itself: Roger Federer, the tennis legend with 20 Grand Slams, surprised Thierry Henry by completing an incredible trick with a ball – rolling it backward with the sole, flicking it up, and starting to juggle. The display came on the second attempt after one failure, but its weight goes far beyond its technical value. No match, no goal, no transfer. But there is a clear commercial message: On, the Swiss sports shoe brand, is seriously entering the football market. Deep analysis of the revealed information shows that Henry holds a 'director of football' role within On's project, Federer is one of the main figures long associated with the brand, and Mbappé is mentioned as an important name related to the project. Three people, three roles, one strategy. Market observers call this 'buying the summit of fame' – a strategy of recruiting top icons rather than building from the ground. On does not compete by sponsoring dozens of clubs like Nike or Adidas. They buy attention with a viral moment, credibility with an Arsenal legend, and real presence with a star at his athletic peak. Federer generates media reach, Henry provides football authenticity, Mbappé – if the link is real – would be the bridge to top-level credibility. What stands out most is the role structure. Federer is not just a paid ambassador. His long-term relationship with On, with commercial and equity ties, shows he acts as an internal stakeholder rather than an outsourced spokesperson. An equity-linked figure cannot be managed like a contracted ambassador. And Henry's 'director of football' title – a commercial title, not a sporting governance role – reflects how brands borrow football's language to buy authenticity. Our analysts have examined this event from a media perspective. The biggest blind spot: this 'surprising' moment is not organic sports news. It is brand-owned content, produced on the On Football channel, then republished by sports media as a real news event. A basic juggling technique is described as 'an incredible trick' – a deliberate editorial exaggeration to serve viral goals. Henry, one of the figures participating in the project, acts as a personal coach for a few seconds, and his praise is set within a commercial relationship – not an independent technical assessment. The real story is not in the technique but in the cash-flow structure. Our deal-valuation models show that these three assets – a retired icon, a football legend, an active star – correspond to three stages of market entry: awareness creation, credibility building, product closing. But note: no financial figures are disclosed in the article. On Holding AG is a listed company with public financial statements – if you want to know how much they spend on football, read the annual report, don't guess from a juggling video. The football footwear market is a game of giants. Nike, Adidas, Puma have built empires over decades with club sponsorship deals, boots, and on-pitch presence. A new brand like On wanting to enter must pay an entry premium – buying credibility assets at a price above fair market value. The concentration risk is obvious: the entire campaign depends on three names, and one of the three is only vaguely referenced. The Mbappé line – 'an important name related to the project' – is deliberately ambiguous, enough to suggest association but not enough to constitute confirmation. Looking at the bigger picture, this is a clear signal of how non-football capital is entering the beautiful game. Instead of buying a club or signing kit deals, brands approach through content and icons. This lowers entry barriers, increases competition for star attention, and creates a commercial value layer increasingly detached from sporting results. Federer's fun moment teaches us nothing about football, but it teaches us a great deal about how brands are reshaping the sports narrative. Every big deal starts with a message. And for On, the message may have been sent. If the Mbappé link is confirmed – not through a viral video but through a formal contract – this would be the turning point that takes On from challenger to real competitor. If not, the brand remains with an expensive lesson about the difference between buying attention and buying credibility. People look at 222 million and shout. I read the fine print. For Federer – a legend who has conquered every summit – this ball trick is not a sporting feat. It is a commercial statement. The only question left: will the promises in that short video be fulfilled on the pitch, or will they remain just a stylish advertising campaign?