Jul 13, 2026
Welcome to episode 259of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Santiago Halty, Founder and CEO of Senda Athletics, one of the world's leading Fair Trade-certified football brands. From launching ethically manufactured footballs to seeing Senda products on football's biggest stage, Santiago shares the remarkable journey of building a purpose-driven sports brand while competing against industry giants.
In this episode, we spoke about:
- Building a Fair Trade football brand from scratch
- Competing against Nike and adidas through niche innovation
- How Senda reached the FIFA World Cup
- Why purpose and performance can coexist in sports business
- The Vózinha story
Time Stamps
00:00 Welcome Santiago Halty
00:19 The Vision Behind Senda
01:45 Why Fair Trade Matters
02:27 Competing Against Nike & adidas
03:42 Winning Through Futsal
04:45 Building a FIFA-Quality Ball
06:14 World Cup Success Story
08:02 Becoming the Official Match Ball
09:39 The Innovation Behind Senda Boots
12:21 The Story of Vózinha
18:14 Raising Investment for Growth
19:42 The Future of Senda
21:07 Becoming a Top 10 Football Brand
22:11 Messi's Last World Cup?
23:26 What's Next for Senda?
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