Adidas-sponsored France may have lost to Puma's Italy in the World Cup final, but the sporting goods company famed for its three stripes showed its strength off the pitch yesterday, unveiling a better-than-expected second quarter performance.

The World Cup in Germany gave Adidas and Puma home advantage and was viewed by many investors as an investment for the future - a way for companies to raise revenues and profile but at the expense of lower profits due to the billions spent on marketing.