Reports surfaced on Tuesday alleging that global sportswear brand Reebok had demanded its logo be removed from the Israeli national soccer team’s uniforms following threats from the BDS movement.
Reebok, represented locally by the MGS Group and owned by American and Jewish stakeholders, began outfitting Israel’s national teams last summer. The launch was accompanied by a high-profile campaign featuring new uniforms designed by former player Tal Shtah. However, Ynet reported, following boycott threats, the company requested its global logo be removed from the kits.
The Israel Soccer Association (IFA) responded firmly, stating, “The IFA never had a direct agreement with Reebok Global, so the company apparently gave in to irrelevant and embarrassing boycott threats. The IFA signed with a local equipment supplier and allowed for various sponsors to appear on the kits, sponsors who are certainly braver than Reebok Global. The design, the IFA emblem and the Israeli flag will continue to be displayed proudly on all national team uniforms. We are confident that new sponsors will soon recognize the privilege of standing with the national team in these times.”
Reebok Global swiftly denied the claims. “Reebok is proud of our record as a unifier of all cultures on and off the pitch. Reports in Israeli news outlets claiming that Reebok has directed the IFA to remove its logos from its national team kits are simply not true,” a spokesperson told Reuters. “We will continue to honor our brand's and our local licensee's commitment to the IFA. We don't do politics; we do sport.”
The IFA later confirmed to Reuters that team kits in upcoming international matches will continue to display the Reebok logo as before.
Israel’s national team is scheduled to play two away matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers: against Norway in Oslo on October 11 and Italy in Udine on November 14.