DFL CEO Steffen Merkel said: “The selection of the right official matchball is of particular relevance for the Bundesliga, given it is the highest-scoring top league in Europe. adidas tabled a very strong offer, that was accepted by the DFL and the 36 clubs in all parameters. We are very pleased about this return and the early planning security that comes with the co-operation. adidas is a company that is deeply rooted in Germany and at the same time has great global appeal. Together, we want to utilise this starting from the season after next.”
Marina Moguš, Managing Director for Central Europe at adidas, said: “We are very excited about the new partnership with the DFL. The future cooperation once again strengthens our presence in the domestic market. After all these years, it was very important to us to once again provide the official match ball for the German Bundesliga. Now we can hardly wait to write a new chapter together with the DFL from the 2026-27 season.”
The teams will continue to play with DERBYSTAR balls until the end of the upcoming 2025-26 season. Merkel adds: “In view of the upcoming change, we would like to thank our current partner DERBYSTAR all the more for the excellent, trusting cooperation throughout the partnership.”