BACKPANINI AMERICA AND GOTHAM FC LAUNCH MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
First NWSL Team Partnership for Panini
Irving, TX – July 23, 2026 – Panini America, a subsidiary of the Panini Group, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, announced today a new partnership with Gotham FC, the reigning National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Champions.
This is the first team partnership for Panini since becoming the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the NWSL and NWSLPA earlier this year. The two organizations will collaborate on select marketing initiatives and activations, including last week’s landmark Queens Classic, and Panini will have a presence across multiple Gotham FC touchpoints designed to engage fans.
“We’re proud to partner with Gotham FC, one of the premier franchises in the NWSL,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America. “Our team is excited to work with Gotham FC in creating products and experiences that showcase Gotham FC’s athletes and deepen fans’ connection to the club. This partnership also reinforces Panini’s long-standing commitment to soccer and to women’s sports here in the United States and globally.”
Panini is currently the exclusive trading card partner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA). The company has a storied history in soccer beginning with Serie A going back to Panini’s founding in 1961, being a partner of the FIFA World Cup since 1970 and additional soccer licenses that include U.S. Soccer, USMNT, USWNTPA, La Liga, The English Football League, and the Barclays Women’s Super League. Panini also has a strong presence in women’s sports, including the WNBA, WNBPA, multiple university athletic programs, and the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.
“Panini has played an iconic role in how fans connect with sports, and we’re excited to partner with a brand that shares our commitment to growing fandom,” said Alex Chang, chief revenue officer of Gotham FC. “Together, we’ll create innovative experiences that celebrate our players and reward our supporters, whether through exclusive collectibles, interactive matchday activations or original storytelling. This partnership reflects our shared vision of bringing fans closer to the club while continuing to elevate the profile of women’s soccer.”
Gotham FC has captured two of the past three NWSL Championships and are home to some of the world’s top players, including U.S. Women’s National Team stars Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Tierna Davidson and Jaedyn Shaw, along with international standouts Esther González, Sam Kerr and Ann-Katrin Berger.
About Panini America
Panini America is a subsidiary of The Panini Group, established over 60 years ago in Modena, Italy with subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for WNBA, WNBAPA, NASCAR, FIFA, the NWSL and NWSLPA, Unrivaled, LIV Golf, the Professional Fighters League, College, Disney, and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini is also the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Elite 11 and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.
Panini has distribution channels in more than 150 countries and employs a staff of over 1,200. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com or
http://blog.paniniamerica.net/. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Gotham FC
Representing New Jersey and New York with top global talent, Gotham FC is one of 16 clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League. The club won its first NWSL championship in 2023 and captured the first continental club trophy in North American women’s soccer by winning the inaugural 2024-25 Concacaf W Champions Cup, earning qualification for the first editions of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. Gotham went on to secure its second NWSL championship in 2025, becoming the lowest seed in league history to win the title.
Rebranded as Gotham FC in 2021, the club plays its home matches at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. Originally founded in 2007 as Sky Blue FC, the team won the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer Championship in 2009 and has been a founding member of the NWSL since the league’s launch in 2013.
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