Women's star Hegerberg signs lucrative, long-term Nike deal

According to sources, the contract is worth upwards of one million euros ($1.13m) to the player. The deal would run least till the next decade.

Ada Hegerberg refused to play for Norway in the 2019 Women's World Cup to continue her protest against gender and wage discrimination.

Former women's Ballon d'Or winner and Norwegian star striker Ada Hegerberg has signed a lucrative long-term sponsorship deal with Nike, it was announced on Monday.

A source close to the 24-year-old said the contract was worth upwards of one million euros ($1.13m) to the player.

In a press release, Hegerberg's representatives AV Sports said the deal would run “at least” till the next decade.

The Lyon player had previously been sponsored by Nike's rival Puma. She posted a picture of herself on Twitter with the caption “Just did it”.

It is a rare such deal involving a women's football star and underlines the status of Hegerberg, who was the first ever winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2018 and has won the last four UEFA Champions Leagues with leading French side Lyon.

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However, she did not take part in last year's World Cup in France due to a long-standing disagreement with the Norwegian FA.

“This is a historic contract and a true commitment both to Ada and women's football,” Hegerberg's agent, Victor Bernard, told AFP .

French media reports have described Hegerberg as the highest-paid female footballer in the world with her contract at Lyon worth a reported 400,000 euros annually. She called the Nike deal “yet another massive step in my career”.

Other Nike-sponsored athletes include Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and LeBron James, as well as USA women's stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.