With this new partnership, the Major Workwear Player expands global soccer sponsorship portfolio
NEW YORK (June 11, 2024) – The Federación Mexicana de Futbol (FMF) and Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of MLS, today announced a multi-year partnership with German workwear leader Engelbert Strauss, better known as simply STRAUSS.
As STRAUSS continues its strategic push into the Americas, the partnership sees STRAUSS become the Mexican Football Federation’s official US workwear partner. Through this agreement, STRAUSS will be backing one of the world’s most well-supported soccer teams to drive awareness and affinity as it expands across North America.
“By many, we are already perceived as the lead sponsor within our category. We are capturing soccer’s momentum, which has been heading West,” says STRAUSS CEO Henning Strauss. “We see the Beautiful Game reaching unparalleled heights in popularity. The partnership with Mexico's National Teams opens up tremendous growth opportunities all across the Americas. With the upcoming World Cup, and with our sponsorship of this summer’s UEFA Euro Cup, the time is right to increase our visibility amongst one of our biggest customer groups: global soccer fans.”
The Mexican National Team partnership is part of a broader strategic vision at STRAUSS. The brand has a strong connection with soccer culture in Europe and the working people who make up Europe’s most fervent soccer supporters. STRAUSS CEO Henning Strauss and SVP of Global Sports and Media Antonio Dominguez believe the Americas present a great opportunity to build a similar relationship with soccer supporters in Mexico, across North America, and beyond.
“With the eyes of the world focusing on North America leading into the 2026 World Cup and the Mexican National Team being a centerpiece of the global game, it’s so exciting to partner with an international brand like STRAUSS to help grow their business as the Federation’s latest U.S. partner,” said Carter Ladd, Soccer United Marketing Chief Revenue Officer. “Mexico’s fan base is unmatched in terms of loyalty, passion and size in this soccer market, and we know they’ll welcome an industry leader like STRAUSS to the Mexican National Team family.”
STRAUSS’ strategy of connecting to customers through soccer has been in place for some time. The brand enjoys a long working relationship with teams in the German Bundesliga, including Bayern Munich. Outside Germany, STRAUSS is a lead sponsor of UEFA. The UEFA sponsorship covers club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, as well as the UEFA European Championships, which will take place this summer in Germany. In the United States, STRAUSS is already the Official Workwear Partner of MLS’ Los Angeles Football Club.
For more than two decades, the MexTour has delighted sports fans across the United States with marquee soccer matches against top opponents at world-class venues, including most U.S. stadiums scheduled to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. More than just a game, each tour stop features fan and media events aimed at engaging the estimated 60-million person fan base. On the pitch, MexTour matches allow the national team to prepare for important competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, the Concacaf Gold Cup and CONMEBOL Copa America.
ABOUT STRAUSS
Engelbert Strauss, or simply STRAUSS, is a third-generation family business located in Frankfurt, Germany. Known across Europe for its iconic ostrich logo (Strauss means ostrich in German), the company is one of Europe’s leading workwear manufacturers. Engelbert Strauss, Inc. is bringing the STRAUSS spirit to the US with a store in Venice Beach and through online sales nationally.
ABOUT SOCCER UNITED MARKETING
Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, is the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the commercialization, marketing, promotion, and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities. SUM holds the exclusive rights to Major League Soccer, the Mexican National Teams for the U.S. market (MexTour and MexTour W), Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, Copa Angelina and Concacaf Properties (including Concacaf Gold Cup™, Concacaf Nations League Finals, Concacaf Champions Cup and Concacaf W). In addition, SUM held the promotional and commercial rights to the highly successful 2016 Copa America Centenario.
Media Contacts:
For Soccer United Marketing
Peter O’Brien
