UEFA has today announced a landmark agreement that sees the companies of Schwarz Group become UEFA’s first strategic Corporate Partner. The long-term agreement with the companies of Schwarz Group’s Lidl and PreZero, reflects a shared commitment to strengthening European football through innovation, sustainability and social responsibility, with a focus on promoting conscious nutrition and grassroots football, advancing circular economy practices and supporting evolving resource-management standards across the game.
Lidl will contribute its expertise to social, educational and grassroots initiatives across Europe as a sponsor of UEFA Grassroots and UEFA Take Care, as well as the exclusive sponsor of UEFA Football in Schools, active in all 55 UEFA member associations. Lidl will support projects that integrate balanced nutrition, physical activity and sport into children’s everyday lives. The partnership underlines the long-term contribution to participation, player development and health and well-being, while recognising grassroots as the foundation of the European football pyramid.
Building on this commitment, UEFA and Lidl plan to launch a pan-European digital platform to support national associations in delivering UEFA Football in Schools. The platform will combine football, education and healthy nutrition, offering practical guidance and online courses for teachers and coaches to promote active lifestyles through age-appropriate content. Lidl and UEFA will further build on the success of the Lidl Youth Camp 2025 to inspire and develop young talent, while Lidl’s partnership of the UEFA Grassroots Awards and presenting role during UEFA Grassroots Week in September will help celebrate and strengthen grassroots football across Europe.
Additionally, PreZero, an international circular economy company, will support UEFA in implementing scalable circular economy solutions across competitions, stadiums and organisational operations in line with UEFA’s sustainability strategy. Drawing on its experience working with leading international clubs and venues, PreZero will provide operational and strategic expertise to reduce waste, optimise recycling systems and measure environmental performance through data-driven processes. The collaboration will also include training programmes for football organisations and stakeholders, helping them meet current and future sustainability requirements while identifying efficient approaches to resource management. UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon will serve as a pilot site for certified circular standards, showcasing best practice for the wider football ecosystem.
Lidl becomes UEFA men’s national team competitions sponsor
Lidl is further strengthening its relationship with UEFA, building on its existing sponsorship of UEFA women’s national team competitions, as well as the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, by becoming a sponsor of UEFA men’s national team competitions until 2030. The agreement builds on a successful partnership that began in 2024, when Lidl joined as an official partner of UEFA EURO 2024 as well as the two UEFA men’s club competitions, and was further enhanced in 2025 through its sponsorship of UEFA women’s national team competitions that included the historic UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
The new sponsorship includes UEFA EURO 2028, to be staged in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland joining adidas, Atos, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways and Visit Qatar as official sponsors of the tournament.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA executive director of marketing, said: “We are delighted to welcome the companies of Schwarz Group as our first strategic corporate partner. Together, we are combining our strengths to shape the future of European football in a sustainable, responsible and competitive way. Alongside Lidl, we will leverage the power of football to bring the passion for exercise and conscious nutrition beyond professional sports into grassroots sports. PreZero is the ideal partner to drive the transformation from a linear to a circular economy. Together, we will achieve a measurable impact in stadiums and enable football organisations to make waste management and resource conservation economical, sustainable and future-proof.”
Jens Thiemer, Chief Customer Officer Lidl International: “We are further developing our collaboration with UEFA in such a targeted manner and are creating sustainable added value for society with the first strategic corporate partnership of UEFA. With the help of UEFA and the power of football, we bring our expertise in conscious nutrition to exactly where it makes a difference: to coaches, parents, and children in grassroots sports. After all, social change is not only decided in the stadium, but above all in the schoolyard and in local clubs.”
Marcus Sagitz, Managing Director Marketing & Corporate Affairs PreZero International: “As a pioneer of the circular economy, we are sending a strong signal: if the transition from linear waste management to a functioning circular economy in European professional sports is successful, it will serve as a model for many parts of the economy. Today, the circular economy is an economic necessity. That is why we empower associations and clubs to combine sustainability with economic efficiency and prove on the main football stage that the preservation of valuable resources and top-class sports are inseparable.”