Lidl has expanded its involvement in European football through a new long-term strategic partnership with UEFA, marking the first agreement of its kind for the organisation.

The deal, struck via Lidl’s parent Schwarz Group, will see the retailer extend its existing sponsorship into a broader collaboration focused on grassroots football, education and healthy living.

The partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship, with both organisations aiming to combine sport and nutrition expertise to deliver programmes across schools and local clubs throughout Europe.

A key focus will be UEFA’s Football in Schools initiative, where Lidl will support efforts to integrate physical activity and healthy eating into children’s everyday lives.

As part of this, the two organisations are developing a pan-European digital platform to help national football associations deliver inclusive, high-quality football programmes, alongside educational resources for teachers and coaches.

Lidl will also take on the role of UEFA’s official Take Care nutrition partner, further embedding its positioning around conscious nutrition within the sport.

Jens Thiemer, chief customer officer at Lidl International, said the partnership was designed to “create sustainable added value for society”, adding that the retailer aims to bring its expertise “to exactly where it makes a difference: to coaches, parents and children in grassroots sports”.

The supermarket will also support initiatives such as the UEFA Grassroots Awards and UEFA Grassroots Week, which celebrate community-level football across Europe.

The expanded agreement builds on Lidl’s existing UEFA partnership, which began in 2024, and will now run through to 2030. As part of the deal, Lidl will become an official global partner of both UEFA women’s and men’s national team football competitions.

This includes sponsorship of major tournaments such as UEFA EURO 2028 in the UK and Ireland, as well as UEFA Women’s EURO 2029 in Germany, alongside a range of qualifying competitions and youth tournaments.

UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said the partnership would help “shape the future of European football in a sustainable, responsible and competitive way”, adding that it would extend the benefits of sport beyond the professional game.

Alongside Lidl, environmental services firm PreZero, also part of the Schwarz Group, will contribute expertise in circular economy and resource efficiency, particularly at large-scale sporting events.

The move reflects a growing trend among grocery retailers to align with major cultural platforms such as sport, using partnerships to reinforce brand positioning around health, community and sustainability while reaching a broad consumer base.

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