This article is available in its original and unabridged version on the official Bundesliga website.

The Bundesliga and EA SPORTS have joined forces as part of EA SPORTS FC FUTURES initiative, making the most of the established Bundesliga Common Ground pitches to provide further benefit to local communities around the world.

This partnership project aims to promote the revamp and continued utilisation of 4 community pitches located around the world. Starting with the sites in Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia and Germany, each pitch will host an eight-week training camp for young grassroots players from the respective local area, with coaching in the form of structured football training sessions and life-skills workshops, designed to support the growth and development of young people, on and off the pitch. The program also incorporates an online library of training drills created by EA SPORTS FC, as an integral component of the football training sessions.

Both elements have been prepared as part of a playbook, developed jointly by the Bundesliga and EA, to serve as the basis of the programme for the local teams, in order to make a lasting contribution and provide orientation in addition to the physical experience.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Bundesliga and EA SPORTS FC hosted a Common Ground kick-off pitch event on 15 February, with Bundesliga Legends and global football icons Zé Roberto, Grafite, Diego and Lucio all making an appearance. Stars from the worlds of music and social media were also present throughout the day. Local graffiti artist Leandro Tick was responsible for the latest designs to the pitch, leading the renovations in his own unique style.

Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “The development of football worldwide has been a core part of the Bundesliga’s DNA for many years. We are passionate about giving back, and providing opportunities to young, enthusiastic footballers of all ages and backgrounds is just one of the ways we can do that. Now working with EA on our established network of Bundesliga Common Ground pitches globally, which have already seen thousands of players enjoy more football, this is the next step for us to reach more young people and deliver a safe space for them to enjoy sport”.

EA SPORTS FC Senior Director of Franchise Activation James Salmon said: “As proud long-term partners of the Bundesliga, we are thrilled to be working on this project together to reinvest back into community-level football. We believe FC FUTURES can provide access and unique tools to inspire the next generation of grassroots players, so it’s fantastic to see our online FC FUTURES Academy drills being integrated into the 8-week clinics. Football brings so much joy, but there are limitless benefits connected to the development of transferable life skills – teamwork, discipline and respect – as well as the positive impact on mental and physical health”.

In January 2024, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga announced an early prolongation of its long-term partnership with EA SPORTS, which has run for more than 25 years. As an official partner of the Bundesliga, EA SPORTS FC titles are the only place you can play as all 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs in a sports simulation game. EA SPORTS also presents the Bundesliga’s coveted Player of the Month and Player of the Season awards.

In 2012, the DFL and EA SPORTS launched the Virtual Bundesliga, which is now embedded in the statutes of the DFL as a further competitive brand and is the only directly integrated e-sports competition of any professional league within the game.

Launched during the 2022-23 season, the Bundesliga Common Ground project revitalised a series of football pitches all over the globe, with the aim of providing more opportunities for young people to play football and for communities to host events in safe spaces. Following each renovation, the pitch was handed over to the local relevant authority, for sports clubs, schools and organisations to use. In addition, Bundesliga clubs continued to use the pitches and invest in grassroots football, hosting coaching sessions and Bundesliga watch parties, all with the goal of inspiring young people to be active and enjoy sport.

In association with local partners and communities, pitches have been revamped in Lagos (Nigeria), Mexico City (Mexico), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), New York (USA), Jakarta (Indonesia), Berlin (Germany) and Zabrze (Poland).