Bentley Gives Mats Hummels a Two-Year Deal and a 771-HP Continental GT Speed
The retired German defender signs a two-year deal focused on German-speaking markets, fronted by Bentley's plug-in hybrid flagship coupe.
Bentley has signed Mats Hummels, the German center-back who won the 2014 World Cup, to a two-year ambassador deal aimed squarely at German-speaking Europe. The car he'll be seen in isn't the brand's new electric Torcal SUV but the plug-in hybrid Continental GT Speed.
The British automaker announced the partnership on October 7. Hummels joins Bentley's European roster of ambassadors with a brief to raise the brand's profile across the DACH region: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Bentley describes him as a longtime fan and says delivery of his own Continental GT Speed is coming soon.
For American readers who know him mainly from World Cup broadcasts, Hummels retired in the summer of 2025 after a season at Roma. He earned 78 caps for Germany and spent most of his career shuttling between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, losing two Champions League finals with Dortmund along the way. He now works as a TV analyst, most recently at this summer's World Cup in the U.S., invests in pro soccer, and has been a UNICEF ambassador for more than a decade.
The car in the photos
The Continental GT Speed is the model that retired Bentley's W12. It pairs a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with an electric motor housed in the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, for a combined 771 hp and 738 lb-ft. That makes it the most powerful production Bentley to date. According to CAR magazine, the coupe reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and tops out at 208 mph, and Bentley quotes around 50 miles of electric driving.
A regional roster
Hummels is the second soccer player Bentley has signed in under a year. Liverpool and Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo became its ambassador for the UK and Europe late last year, with a Bentayga Speed on order. Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and "Emily in Paris" actor Lucien Laviscount complete the recent lineup.
The difference with Hummels is the narrow geographic mandate. Rather than one global face, Bentley is matching names to markets, much as Ram signed five Texas Longhorns players to anchor its college football push. It's the same brand-building effort behind Bentley's redesigned, bar-equipped showrooms.
Bentley hasn't disclosed the financial terms or what Hummels' role will involve beyond driving the car and appearing for the brand. The company also hasn't said how his Continental GT Speed is specified.
