Adidas vs Visa: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Adidas reported ~$28B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$1.5B of net income. Visa reported $40B of revenue in FY2025 and $20.1B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Adidas
Adidas reported a ~$84.7 million (EUR75 million) attributable net loss in 2023 after ending the Ye partnership, followed by attributable net income of ~$863 million (EUR764 million) in 2024 and ~$1.51 billion (EUR1.340 billion) in 2025. Sales rose from ~$24.2 billion (EUR21.427 billion) in 2023 to ~$28 billion (EUR24.811 billion) in 2025.
Visa
Visa's fiscal year ends September 30. Fiscal 2025 net revenue was USD 40.0 billion, up 11% from USD 35.9 billion in fiscal 2024, and GAAP net income was USD 20.1 billion. Growth continued in fiscal 2026: in the third quarter (April to June 2026) net revenue rose 14% to USD 11.6 billion, quarterly payments volume passed USD 4 trillion for the first time, and Visa returned USD 6.2 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Fiscal 2026 full-year results are due in late October 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
Adidas
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$28B | ~$1.5B | 5.4% | +4.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$26.8B | ~$863.3M | 3.2% | +10.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$24.2B | ~-$84.7M | -0.4% | -4.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$25.4B | ~$691.6M | 2.7% | +6.0% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$24B | ~$2.4B | 10.0% | +7.0% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$22.4B | ~$484.8M | 2.2% | -16.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$26.7B | ~$2.2B | 8.4% | +7.9% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$24.8B | ~$1.9B | 7.8% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$24B | ~$1.2B | 5.2% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$21.8B | ~$1.1B | 5.3% | — | Source |
Visa
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $40B | $20.1B | 50.1% | +11.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $35.9B | $19.7B | 55.0% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $32.7B | $17.3B | 52.9% | +11.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $29.3B | $15B | 51.0% | +21.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $24.1B | $12.3B | 51.1% | +10.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $21.8B | $10.9B | 49.7% | -4.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $23B | $12.1B | 52.6% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $20.6B | $10.3B | 50.0% | +12.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $18.4B | $6.7B | 36.5% | +21.7% | Source |
| FY2016 | $15.1B | $6B | 39.7% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Adidas
- Footwear
~$16.1B (EUR14.232B) in FY2025 net sales (~57%)
Footwear is Adidas' largest revenue category, led by football, running, training, basketball, Originals, Sportswear, Samba, Gazelle, Spezial, and Adizero franchises.
- Apparel
~$9.9B (EUR8.764B) in FY2025 net sales (~35%)
Apparel includes football kits, training, running, Originals, Sportswear, and locally relevant collections that grew strongly in 2025 and Q1 2026.
- Accessories
~$2.05B (EUR1.815B) in FY2025 net sales (~7%)
Accessories include balls, bags, socks, caps, and sport equipment, including Adidas' long-running FIFA World Cup match-ball platform.
- Wholesale
60% of FY2025 net sales
Wholesale remains Adidas' largest channel, relying on retail partners, branded space, key-account relationships, and disciplined sell-in.
- Direct-to-Consumer
40% of FY2025 net sales
DTC includes own retail and e-commerce, giving Adidas more control over consumer experience, pricing, launches, data, and full-price sell-through.
Visa
- Service revenue
- Data processing revenue
- International transaction revenue
- Value-added services
- Visa Direct
- Fraud and risk tools
Business model and strategy
Adidas
How it makes money
Adidas develops and markets footwear, apparel, and accessories while independent manufacturing partners produce most goods. It sells through wholesale partners and direct-to-consumer channels; wholesale represented 60% of 2025 sales and direct-to-consumer represented 40%.
Growth strategy
Adidas is investing in football, running, training, basketball, Originals, and Sportswear while giving regional teams more authority over assortments and marketing. The company uses wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels rather than relying on one distribution model.
Competitive advantage
Adidas combines a recognized 3-Stripes identity, long-standing football relationships, performance products, and archive footwear such as Samba, Gazelle, Superstar, and Stan Smith. Its wholesale network and direct-to-consumer channels provide global distribution.
Visa
How it makes money
Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders. Its reported revenue lines are service revenue (based on payments volume), data processing revenue (based on transactions authorized, cleared and settled over VisaNet), international transaction revenue (cross-border and currency conversion activity) and other revenue, including value-added services such as fraud and…
Growth strategy
Visa's growth strategy is to expand credentials, increase digital acceptance, grow cross-border and e-commerce volume, sell more value-added services, scale Visa Direct, support tap-to-pay and tokenized commerce, and embed Visa capabilities inside fintech and banking platforms.
Competitive advantage
Visa's moat is a three-sided network effect. Consumers use Visa because merchants accept it, merchants accept Visa because consumers carry it, and banks issue Visa credentials because both sides already participate. The company also has fraud data, global rules, brand trust, dispute standards, token infrastructure, and bank relationships built across decades. A competitor cannot simply copy the software;
Questions about Adidas vs Visa
Which company has higher revenue — Adidas AG or Visa Inc.?
Adidas AG reported ~$28B (FY2025), while Visa Inc. reported $40.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Visa Inc. is the larger business, with Adidas AG reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Adidas AG vs Visa Inc.?
Adidas AG's market capitalisation stands at $29.0B, while Visa Inc.'s is $676.0B. Visa Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Adidas AG.
Which is more financially efficient — Adidas AG or Visa Inc.?
Adidas AG generates $432k / employee in revenue per employee, while Visa Inc. generates $1.17M / employee. Visa Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Adidas AG and Visa Inc. make money?
Adidas AG and Visa Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Adidas AG: Adidas develops and markets footwear, apparel, and accessories while independent manufacturing partners produce most goods. Visa Inc.: Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Adidas AG or Visa Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Adidas AG trades at 1.0x P/S and Visa Inc. at 16.9x P/S. Visa Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Adidas AG. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Adidas AG bigger than Visa Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Visa Inc. ($40.0B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Adidas AG (~$28B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Adidas vs Visa overview