German workwear leader Engelbert Strauss and LAFC team up for a club workwear partnership ahead of the 2024 MLS season, a move that reflects wider interest from major European brands in American Soccer.
“The world’s best soccer player (and GOAT) is playing in MLS. The Olympics and World Cup are right around the corner. Is there a better time to be a soccer fan in the Americas?” says Engelbert Strauss, Incorporated President and Chief of Brand Henning Strauss. “The sport’s center of gravity has shifted west, and LAFC sits right in the middle of it.”
Through the partnership, Engelbert Strauss will help LAFC expand and diversify its apparel, offering The Black and Gold’s legion of fans durable, functional workwear. Engelbert Strauss will also bring the club closer to skilled tradesmen throughout the city by offering them special experiences at trainings, matches, and at the STRAUSS LA store.
The deal marks Engelbert Strauss’ first American soccer partnership, but the Engelbert Strauss brand has a long affiliation with the beautiful game. Engelbert Strauss holds partnerships with several teams in the German Bundesliga. Engelbert Strauss is also an official sponsor of the 2024 UEFA European Championships – Europe’s biggest international soccer tournament – and the 2024 UEFA Champions League knock-out stages and Final. Engelbert Strauss’ roots in the sport run so deep that STRAUSS can even be found on virtual stadium hoardings in the popular video game EA Sports FC.
“Engelbert Strauss is an established and trusted brand throughout the world,” LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman says. “We are thrilled to team up with STRAUSS on their first American soccer partnership, a partnership that shows we truly are able to represent the World’s Game in the World’s City.”
For LAFC, the partnership with Engelbert Strauss is not the team’s only connection to Germany. Head coach Steve Cherundolo played his entire professional career in Germany. And midfielder Timothy Tillman was born and raised in Bavaria.
For Engelbert Strauss, Incorporated, the partnership underscores its commitment and love for the community. LA has long been a second home for Henning Strauss, who went to college in Southern California, and the brand has been doing commercial and product shoots in LA for more than a decade.
“The fandom in the City of Angels is colorful. It’s joyful,” says Henning Strauss. “It’s emblematic of this reinvigorated American soccer culture. And we’re so proud to be a part of it.”
STRAUSS x LAFC apparel will be available in LAFC retail stores, the STRAUSS LA store, and online.
