DETROIT: U.S. Soccer announced Monday a landmark, integrated partnership with global automobile giant, Volkswagen as the brand has been named its presenting automotive partner till 2022. The agreement was facilitated by Soccer United Marketing (SUM), U.S. Soccer’s partner for the past 15 years.
As part of Volkswagen’s long-term commitment, it will help U.S. Soccer with its mission to become the pre-eminent sport in the country by increasing participation, developing world class players, coaches and referees, and increasing fan engagement around the sport.
“We are extremely excited to work together with Volkswagen to help us continue to grow soccer in the United States,” U.S Soccer CEO and secretary general Dan Flynn said.
“Volkswagen will be one of the most active and visible partners U.S. Soccer has ever had, providing us with additional resources for more programs that can impact and help develop the sport, while also allowing us to reach more fans of the game across the country. We look forward to the next four years together as we drive towards our mission of becoming the preeminent sport in the United States.”
As part of the historic partnership, Volkswagen will have branding on training tops for all U.S. Soccer National Teams, including the men’s, women’s and youth national teams, the Para 7-a-side, beach and futsal National Teams and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
“We are absolutely thrilled about this partnership with U.S. Soccer,” Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO Scott Keogh said.
“Our program is about helping to grow this great sport in the U.S. The first step is making it easier for women to stay with the sport and pass on their wisdom and passion and love to the next generation of players. Soccer is the People’s Sport and Volkswagen is the People’s Car.”
Volkswagen’s support will fund programs and provide assistance to develop more female coaches in the United States as well. While 47 percent of youth soccer players are women, only 15 percent of coaches are female.
“We need more women in coaching,” US women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis, who led the team to an unbeaten record in 2018 to finish as the No. 1-ranked team for the fourth consecutive year, said.
“Female athletes can relate to female coaches and provide them the aspiration to get into coaching themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing results of this partnership and seeing the impact it will have on providing more opportunities to develop female coaches in the near future.”
With the deal announced in advance of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, Volkswagen will be activating during U.S. Soccer’s Countdown to the marquee tournament from January to May, which includes the team playing a total of 10 games.
As part of the partnerships, Volkswagen also becomes the presenting partner of Tournament of Nations – a prestigious, round-robin, international women’s tournament that takes place in the United States every year there is not a Women’s World Cup or Summer Olympic Games. The next edition of one of the world’s most competitive women’s soccer events will take place in 2021.
As Volkswagen plans a major shift towards automotive electrification, the automobile partner will have prominent in-stadia and training camp placements on U.S. Soccer creative materials for all national teams’ matches, along with a significant presence in the organisation’s social media and digital efforts.
