CHICAGO (Nov. 18, 2024) - The U.S. Soccer Federation and Henkel, a leading manufacturer of well-known consumer and industrial brands, such as Dial® soaps, Persil® and all® laundry detergents, Snuggle® fabric softeners, Schwarzkopf® hair care, as well as Loctite®, OSI®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives, today announced a new, multi-year partnership. The partnership will make Henkel the presenting partner of U.S. Soccer’s Young Player of the Year Awards and community youth soccer clinics, and a supporting partner of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center – the Federation’s new home in Atlanta.
The partnership marks Henkel’s first-ever portfolio deal and will leverage a range of its more than 30 popular brands in North America, to promote the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, as well the Youth and Extended National Teams, during the most exciting, unprecedented moment for the sport in the United States over the next several years.
“This partnership exemplifies our commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive soccer ecosystem,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson. “Henkel’s support amplifies our reach and enhances resources for our athletes, while deepening our connection with communities across the country. We’re thrilled to work together to inspire and empower the next generation.”
“Around the globe, sports is a source of energy, pride and inspiration. That´s why we are proud to be partnering with U.S. Soccer,” said Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel. “The partnership will provide a strong platform to connect and inspire our employee teams and bring to life our strong values and culture. It will also create an opportunity to engage with our customers and consumers and support our corporate brand and strong brands in North America, Henkel´s single biggest market globally. We are looking forward to this exciting partnership.”
Together, U.S. Soccer and Henkel will help highlight the outstanding achievements of National Team players through the Federation’s Young Male and Female Player of the Year Awards, which recognize the best USMNT and USWNT players over the course of the calendar year and are decided by U.S. Soccer sporting representatives, select national media members, and a fan vote at the end of the year, alongside the best players from the U.S. Youth and Extended National Teams.
In the spirit of supporting and enhancing the National Teams, a portion of Henkel’s investment will directly support High Performance resources at U.S. Soccer’s new state-of-the-art Training Center. Located just outside of Atlanta, the facility is slated to open in 2026 and will be the Federation’s new headquarters and home to its 27 National Teams.
As part of its commitment to making soccer safe and accessible, Henkel will also help grow the sport at the grassroots level through local programming, supporting AYSO and U.S. Soccer community youth clinics across the nation. AYSO is one of U.S. Soccer’s 116 member organizations, which the Federation oversees as the governing body of the sport in the United States while collaborating to grow the game.
Henkel becomes U.S. Soccer’s 14th strategic partner and its seventh new partner since bringing its commercial rights in house at the start of 2023. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the governing body of soccer in the United States, U.S. Soccer’s revenue directly impacts the growth and stability of the broader American soccer landscape.
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, it has aligned its efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, and commitment to participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
With its brands, innovations and technologies, Henkel holds leading market positions worldwide in the industrial and consumer businesses. The business unit Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the market for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. With Consumer Brands, the company holds leading positions especially in laundry & home care and hair in many markets and categories around the world. The company's three strongest brands are Loctite, Persil and Schwarzkopf. In fiscal 2023, Henkel reported sales of more than 21.5 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of around 2.6 billion euros. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. Sustainability has a long tradition at Henkel, and the company has a clear sustainability strategy with specific targets. Henkel was founded in 1876 and today employs a diverse team of about 48,000 people worldwide – united by a strong corporate culture, shared values and a common purpose: "Pioneers at heart for the good of generations.” More information at www.henkel.com.
Henkel’s portfolio of well-known brands in North America includes Dial® soaps, Persil® and all® laundry detergents, Snuggle® fabric softeners, Schwarzkopf® hair care, as well as Loctite®, OSI®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives. With sales close to 6.6 billion US dollars (6 billion euros) in 2023, North America accounts for 28 percent of the company’s global sales. Henkel employs around 8,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit http://www.henkel-northamerica.com and on X (Twitter) @Henkel_NA.