Xbox is now ‘the official gaming partner’ of the England football teams

Xbox has been announced as the official gaming partner of the England national football teams, Wembley Stadium and the St George’s Park training complex.

The partnership was announced ahead of the World Cup qualifying match against Hungary on September 2 and will see Xbox committing to “a grassroots gaming campaign” with The FA, which the pair said will bring “exciting experiences for football and gaming fans across the nation.”

More details of upcoming activities and how fans can get involved will be announced “soon”, they said.

In a statement, The FA said it admired Xbox’s championing of gaming being “inclusive, accessible and safe for all” and that this message is expressed in the newly announced marketing slogan: “When Everybody Plays, We All Win.”

As seen in the video below, Wembley Stadium was also lit up in Xbox green to announce the deal:

Marcos Waltenberg, Xbox’s director of global partnerships, said in a prepared statement: “At Xbox we strive to remove barriers and to empower people to experience the joy of play: millions of people around the world find common ground and connect through playing games, as they do with football.

“In The FA we see a tremendous organization which has the same drive and ambition to empower people as we do at Xbox.  Through our partnership we aim to bring further value to the England Football Teams and power the dreams of players and fans everywhere.”

Kathryn Swarbrick, The FA’s marketing boss added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Xbox, a brand that aligns with The FA’s values. Gaming is loved and embraced by fans across the world and we see this partnership as an opportunity to take that relationship to the next level for all of those connected with English football.

“’When Everyone Plays, We All Win’ is a message that rings true of what we strive to achieve at The FA and we hope that our inspirational national teams can bring great value to Xbox.

“As a not-for-profit organisation, commercial partnerships are vital in allowing us to continue to invest millions into all levels of the game, so we thank Xbox for that support.”