Continental is the third German enterprise to become an official partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup(tm). The agreement also includes the FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003 and the FIFA Confederations Cup Germany 2005.
Besides Continental, the following companies have to date officially confirmed their participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup as official partners - adidas, Avaya, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Deutsche Telekom, Gillette, Hyundai, McDonald's, Philips, Toshiba and Yahoo!
"It is fantastic to see the enthusiasm that people and major companies in Germany have already shown for the 2006 event. We're especially happy that Continental has joined the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as they are yet another
important German company that has been an active supporter of the game of football for many years," said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Franz Beckenbauer, president of the Local Organising Committee, added: "It is great to see that following adidas and Deutsche Telekom, a third enterprise from Germany has now taken the opportunity to support the 2006 FIFA World Cup as an official partner. It is a big advantage for all
those involved in the event to have such prestigious partners on board at this early stage".
Continental is Germany's largest manufacturer of tyres for cars and trucks and a tier-1 automotive supplier. Continental has a long-standing relationship with football, which included sponsorship of the UEFA Champions' League from 1995 until 1999 and various sponsorships of club teams.
Tyre manufacturer Continental has signed up as an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, to be held in Germany.
