VfB Stuttgart has always been deeply rooted in its home region, but the club from Cannstatt has also been involved on the international stage for several decades. For instance, there was a training camp in the USA back in the 1950s, and on 8 September 1964, VfB played their first competitive match in European competition when they took on Odense. Some memorable European Cup and Champions League nights, including two runs to the final, have firmly underlined VfB’s place in international football.
The club’s successful youth development work has also attracted attention across Europe since the 2000s, and has had a lasting impact on VfB’s image. More recently, VfB deepened their history of continental participation by taking part in the 2024/25 Champions League and reaching the Europa League round of 16. International visibility not only enhances the club’s profile in footballing terms, it also strengthens the club as a whole.
History and identity
Numerous players from all over the world have shaped the club’s history both on and off the pitch, including legends such as Fernando Meira and Shinji Okazaki. They are just two of many international figures who have worn the jersey with the red hoop, and contributed their own chapters to VfB’s story. From Etepe Kakoko to Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, Carlos Dunga, Giovane Élber, Krassimir Balakov and Pavel Pardo – virtually every era of VfB has had, and continues to have, its international heroes.
The club’s global interconnectedness is also reflected in its steadily growing worldwide fan community, with official supporters’ clubs in Europe, the Americas and Asia. White and red unite fans across continents, making VfB Stuttgart an international football brand with a clear and distinctive identity.
Strategic markets
Alongside this, VfB Stuttgart is strategically expanding its international activities. Key focus countries include the USA, Brazil, Japan, India and China. Through elite partnerships, such as those with Brazilian top-flight club São Paulo and Japanese first-division side V-Varen Nagasaki, talented youngsters are identified and developed at an early stage.
In addition, there are further partnerships in the areas of youth development and international training camps, as well as knowledge-exchange programmes for players and coaches. VfB Stuttgart also embraces social responsibility worldwide through the “Brustring der Herzen” foundation, which supports international projects and fosters global exchange.
International matchday
As such, the theme of the upcoming home match will be “Stuttgart International”, bringing the club’s global outlook to life inside the stadium. VfB legends Meira and Okazaki will return to their former home ground, appearing in the Sportstudio and matchday shows and giving interviews. Messages of support from fans around the world will further highlight the club’s international ties.
On the culinary side, the options at Cannstatt kocht range from XXL hot dogs to chicken curry and rice at Surf & Fries, burgers and loaded buns at Pits Burger, and even an Indian dish at Mapi.
The team will take to the pitch wearing special warm-up jackets displaying the word “Hello” in 16 different languages, reflecting the 16 nations currently on the playing and coaching staff. The jackets will be later auctioned for a charitable cause in cooperation with the “Brustring der Herzen” foundation.
Furthermore, the Harlem Globetrotters – the legendary exhibition basketball team from New York, renowned for thrilling audiences with spectacular tricks, dunks and showmanship – will be represented by a delegation in the matchday show. Anyone keen to see them live is in for a treat, as they will be appearing in Stuttgart in May as part of their “100 Years World Tour”.
