A strong supporter of soccer, Continental’s soccer roots date back to the 1950s when the company became an exclusive partner of Hannover 96, a German professional soccer club, when two players of the 1954 championship team worked for Continental.
Since then, Continental has expanded its partnerships across the board, as a sponsor of Major League Soccer since 2010 in the USA and Canada, and a partnership with the athletic shoe company adidas.
The collaboration with adidas began in 2010 when adidas enlisted the expertise of Continental for the rubber soles of its shoes. The development engineers at Continental set out to determine what ideal natural and synthetic rubber compounds would make a significant difference to an athlete’s performance – regardless of weather conditions, temperature, or running surface. The result of the efforts is a sole that offers 30 percent more traction, a reduction in slip, and more efficient running than ever before. Today, Continental rubber is used on the soles of over 137 models of shoes and together the shoe partnership has seen three marathon world records, one Guinness World Record, and two Olympic medals – just to name a few.
In 2021, Continental Tire is a proud supporter of Major League Soccer and North Carolina FC.