Mary Fowler has signed a new record-breaking $10 million deal with Adidas, making the Matildas star one of the highest paid women’s footballers in the world.
The 23-year-old made a successful return from an ACL injury at the Asian Cup as the Matildas suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Japan in the final.
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Now Fowler has more reason to smile, with Code Sports reporting she has extended her partnership with Adidas, which is believed to be worth around $10 million over five years.
The new deal is one of the largest sportswear contracts signed by a women’s footballer in the world. It came after a bidding war between Adidas, Nike and New Balance, which took place during her 10-month injury lay-off.
Fowler emerged as a highly marketable athlete at the 2023 FIFA World Cup at home soil, but her career on the pitch was paused when she suffered an ACL knee injury last year, keeping her out of action.
But she has re-signed with Manchester City and returned to play at the Asian Cup and was one of the Matildas’ best in their run to the final.
Read the full story about Mary Fowler’s Adidas deal at Code Sports.
“The most valuable athletes today sit at the intersection of sport and culture, and Mary does just that,” Fowler’s agent Josh White, CEO of sports marketing agency Always Human, told Code Sports.
Since bursting onto the scene at the World Cup, Fowler has partnered with numerous brands including Weet-Bix, CommBank, Samsung, Rebel Sport, Barbie and L’Oreal Paris.
Last year, also Fowler published her first book Bloom, which details her journey from growing up in Cairns to the world’s biggest stage.
“Mary is the next-gen in global football icons,” White previously told News Corp.
“What makes Mary so marketable is not only how amazing an athlete she is on the field, but also her personal attributes; the authenticity she has, how she shows up through her social media, the engagement she has with audiences and how she handles herself in the media.”
Fowler’s new sponsorship deal means she is earning more money per year with Adidas than Sam Kerr, who is reportedly being paide $13 million by Nike over 13 years.
She reportedly earned $3.34 million in 2022 , making her one of the highest-paid athletes in Australia. Kerr’s sponsors stood by her during her UK court case last year when she was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after she called a police officer “f***ing stupid and white”.
Kerr has also returned from an ACL injury in recent months and impressed at the Asian Cup, although the 32-year-old striker’s future at club level is up in the air.
The Matildas captain is reportedly set to leave Chelsea and return to America’s NWSL to be closer to her partner Kristie Mewis’ family as they raise their young son.
Fowler’s boyfriend, Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary, is also part of the Adidas stable as one of the brand’s most high profile ambassadors. They met at an Adidas marketing event in 2023 and went out for ice cream afterwards.
Fowler could well be earning more than Cleary, who has a $1.2 million salary with the Panthers on top of endorsement deals with Rexona and Adidas.
Cleary has been linked with a move to the NRL’s new Papua New Guinea team given Fowler’s PNG heritage, and he would earn tax-free money if he joins the new team in 2028.
Rising Australian athletics star Gout Gout is also sponsored by Adidas on a $6 million multi-year deal that runs until the Brisbane Olympics.
Fowler is set to claim her first Women’s Super League title with Manchester City, who are nine points clear of Chelsea heading into the closing stages of the season.
Chelsea had won the past six WSL titles but that run appears set to end, with Chelsea also going down to Arsenal in a tough women’s Champions League quarter-final on Thursday morning (AEDT).
