Sporting Heights: 20 Years of Partnership Between Lufthansa and the German Football Association

Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã Stadium, July 13, 2014: in the 113th minute of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina, André Schürrle crosses from the touchline into the South American penalty area. Mario Götze takes the ball with his chest; a skillful direct shot. He scores! It was the only goal of the game and made the German national team world champions – and the Lufthansa Boeing 747 which took them home on a special flight the next day the "Siegerflieger," a plane for champions.

Lufthansa and the DFB: A Partnership for Open-Mindedness and Diversity

The partnership between the DFB and Lufthansa as the official airline of the German men's national team has existed since 2005. Lufthansa has been flying players, coaches, and support staff to international matches and tournaments for 20 years – and the partnership will continue at least until the end of the tournament, which will be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026. "We are looking forward to as many more high-flying achievements as possible with a strong partner," said Dr. Holger Blask, now Chairman of the Executive Board of DFB GmbH und Co. KG, on the occasion of the extension of the partnership in 2022. "We have the common goal of bringing the national team and fans from around the world together to celebrate unique soccer experiences."

The cooperation between Lufthansa and the DFB is characterized by more than just transporting the German delegation. The shared values such as fairness, team spirit, and top performance not only drive competitive athletes, but also Lufthansa employees, as Dr. Stefan Kreuzpaintner, now Senior Vice President Commercial Customer Offer at Lufthansa, emphasized in 2022. "I am particularly proud that Lufthansa and the DFB continue to cooperate as two partners who embody open-mindedness and diversity," he said.

20 Years Full of Sporting Highlights

Lufthansa set an example for diversity and tolerance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when an aircraft bore the words "Diversity Wins." It also featured an illustration highlighting the diversity of the men's national soccer team and its fans. After the first flight to Muscat, Oman, with the German team on board, the plane traveled around the world with this message for many months.

There was an important premiere at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa: the very first Lufthansa long-haul flight with the Airbus A380, which was new to the fleet at the time. It brought the German national soccer team safely and comfortably to Johannesburg. Also on board were around 150 fans and the Colombian pop singer Shakira, to whose World Cup song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" the fans danced.

Back to Rio and the men's national team's last major triumph: in 2014, eight Lufthansa aircraft bore the inscription "Fanhansa" for the first time. One of them was waiting for the German team in the Brazilian metropolis. To bring the newly crowned world champions home in style, Lufthansa employees affixed the golden "Siegerflieger" lettering to the aircraft the night after the victory. The next day, the plane took off with the German World Cup heroes on board. Their destination: Berlin.

We are looking forward to further highlights at the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. A repeat of the "Siegerflieger" would certainly delight German fans.