Volkswagen Renews U.S. Soccer Deal With More Money and a New Atlas to Sell

Volkswagen is staying with U.S. Soccer beyond this summer's home World Cup. The automaker and the federation announced a multi-year renewal of their presenting partnership on October 9, and both say VW is spending more than before. Neither disclosed the amount or how long the deal runs.

The increase comes while Volkswagen works through a restructuring that is reshaping its U.S. lineup, which makes a bigger sports budget a notable choice.

VW remains presenting partner of all 27 U.S. national teams, a role it has held since 2019, when the original deal was announced at the Detroit auto show. That covers the senior men's and women's sides as well as the Deaf, Powerchair, and Beach Soccer teams.

The new piece is the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia, where VW becomes a supporting sponsor. The complex opened on May 7 on a 200-acre site with 17 outdoor playing surfaces, funded in part by a $50 million gift from Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Its founding partners already include Coca-Cola, Nike, AT&T, and Bank of America.

Volkswagen has also signed a separate agreement with U.S. women's coach Emma Hayes and extended its deal with defender Naomi Girma. The company says its programming will focus on youth access, particularly for girls, ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

"Soccer in America has never had more momentum than it does right now," said Rachael Zaluzec, chief marketing officer at Volkswagen of America.

The Atlas is the product behind the deal

The first activation shows what VW wants from the money. It parked two 2027 Atlas SUVs outside Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on October 10, when the U.S. women lost 2-0 to Spain.

The Atlas is Volkswagen's three-row family SUV, built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and redesigned for 2027. The new model, shown at the New York auto show in the spring, uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 282 hp, up from 269 hp.

It is also more expensive. Motor1 reports a starting price of $43,135, which is $2,350 more than the outgoing model and above the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, both of which start near $41,000. A three-row SUV pitched at families with kids in youth soccer is not a subtle match.

Volkswagen is not alone in buying its way into a fan base. Recent examples include Jeep's deal to become the official 4x4 of Moab and Ram's College Football Playoff tie-in. In each case the brand is paying to reach a specific buyer where that buyer already spends weekends.

The company hasn't said what the renewal costs or when it expires. It says details of fan events and programming will follow.