With more than 8 million members, the DFB is the largest national sports association in the world. By anchoring the brand in the universe of the DFB and football culture, the partnership will resonate with football fans and style among new and existing Zalando customers and cement its position at the intersection of sport and fashion. It marks an important milestone for Zalando's strategic goal to continue expanding as a lifestyle destination.
The comprehensive partnership with the DFB grants Zalando a wide range of exclusive marketing and activation rights, creating exciting opportunities for football enthusiasts in Germany and beyond to connect with Zalando. Key elements include:
Zalando has signed a five-year agreement with the German Football Federation, becoming the main partner of the men's, women's and youth teams. The deal includes branding on training and pre-match uniforms, increased media visibility and exclusive fan activations. Zalando will use the collaboration to connect sport and style, improve loyalty benefits and create new campaigns and content inspired by football.
- Featured brand: The Zalando logo will appear on all pre-match and training kits of the DFB men's, women's and youth teams.
- Wide presence in the media: The partnership includes a full set of marketing rights such as significant stadium LED board visibility, cam mats, media background branding and a strong integrated social media presence.
- Exclusive activations: Zalando will host a unique studio at the camp during all major tournaments, creating exclusive behind-the-scenes content for Zalando customers. Zalando Plus customers in Germany will have exclusive access to ticket and team giveaways.
The association is presented through a specific campaign that shows that football is more than just the game; It's about style and attitude, and how owning that style with confidence creates icons beyond the field. The campaign references DFB legends and their memorable looks and performances, including Franz Beckenbauer's legendary collar and Berti Vogts' oversized cuts, proof that style has always been key to success.
The campaign not only looks at the fashion heritage of recent decades, but also at a new era of style creators and stars such as Florian Wirtz, Joshua Kimmich and Karim Adeyemi.
James Rothwell, senior vice president of marketing at Zalando, says: “Football and fashion have a long history together and together play an important role in German culture. We are delighted to become a major partner of the DFB and to build on that legacy. We hope to inspire a new generation of fans to find confidence in their style on and off the pitch. Sport is an important focus for Zalando, and we have seen significant growth of sports audiences and brands on our platform. Through this partnership, we are excited to insert our brand into the most passionate and engaged cultural conversation in Germany. Germany, connecting fans with incredible content, variety and experiences, and creating access to special moments for fans. We look forward to celebrating key sporting events over the next five years with a diverse and passionate football community.”
Holger Blask, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DFB GmbH und Co. KG says: “We are delighted to welcome Zalando as a new, strong and simply ideal major partner to our side. As a leading international e-commerce and fashion company based in Germany, Zalando represents creativity, diversity and a forward-thinking approach. Football and the DFB are more than just sport: they are an expression of community and emotional connection. Together with Zalando, we aim to set new standards: connecting sport, lifestyle and fashion with digital culture. This partnership demonstrates synergy. perfect between tradition and innovation, emotion and style.”
Zalando will further leverage the partnership by improving its loyalty experience. An exclusive “Plus Zone” debuts for Zalando Plus customers in Germany, integrated into the sports homepage and serving as a central hub for special draws and partnerships starting today. Plus members can enter to win tickets to the Germany vs. Slovakia in Leipzig (application is open from November 6 to 10). In addition, 5 t-shirts of the new World Cup kit signed by the entire team will be exclusively raffled off (application open from November 11 to 18). The Plus Zone will be continually updated with exclusive opportunities to join in the excitement of football.
Other interesting elements of the partnership will be revealed in 2026.
The partnership supports Zalando's ambition to continue expanding as a lifestyle destination, going beyond a generalist offering to provide a curated, high-performance experience. In recent years, Zalando has significantly expanded its expertise in key areas such as football, running and cycling, incorporating a technical range, introducing dedicated on-site customer experiences for different types of sports and authentically integrating the Zalando brand into sports culture by supporting major sporting events in Europe.
Note: The headline, ideas and image of this press release may have been refined by Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fiber2Fashion News Desk (RM)
