Germany: Continental sponsoring national men’s football team

When Continental wrapped up two decades of top-level football sponsorship following the UEFA EURO 2016 event its Tire division claimed to have “achieved the brand recognition targets we had set for the communication platform that football provided.” Yet the tyre maker never lost its love for the beautiful game and continued supporting football in a number of ways, including its partnership with the FA Women’s Super League and the Women’s Senior Team in England. From 1 January 2023, it will add the men’s team in its homeland to its sponsorship trophy cabinet.

In addition to the men’s national team, the partnership with the German Football Association (DFB) covers the U21 team. “We are looking forward to many emotional moments with the men’s national team and are proud to be a partner of such a successful team and at the same time to strengthen the visibility of our brand,” says Mirco Brodthage, head of Continental Deutschland’s replacement tyre business. “Continental and the DFB team share common values: both have always stood for great passion and excellence. As a strong, reliable and trustworthy partner, we will stand firmly by the team on its path to new sporting successes.”

A shared passion for the game

“We warmly welcome Continental as a global brand in the DFB partner portfolio. Continental has been at home in sponsoring the biggest international football competitions for more than two decades,” adds Dr Holger Blask, the DFB’s managing director marketing, sales & events. “Continental is now continuing this tradition with its national team sponsorship. After all, we not only share a passion for the game, but above all the pursuit of top performance and innovation.”

“We are very much looking forward to working with Continental,” says Oliver Bierhoff, DFB managing director national teams & academy. “We are united by the common idea of performance and performance-oriented action as well as the highest demand for constant and sustainable further development. This makes the partnership between our teams and Continental a perfect match.”

High brand visibility

With this partnership, Continental invests in its brand presence in Germany and establishes, in addition to Tour de France and Extreme E, a third strong sponsorship presence. The company is confident that the combination of all three platforms “ensures high visibility for the Continental brand.”

Continental has a long history of football sponsorship. For more than 25 years, the tyre maker has partnered with the most important international football events, including EURO 2008, 2012 and 2016 and the FIFA World Cups in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Continental also sponsored the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 as well as the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021. In Germany, Continental partnered with the DFB-Pokal from 2010 to 2016 as well as in 2021/22.