Darmstadt to play against San Antonio FC in milestone friendly in March 2026
Darmstadt will use the international break in March 2026 for a trip to San Antonio, Texas, where they'll play their partner club for the very first time.
They'll be there between March 22-28 to play a friendly match against cooperation partner San Antonio FC (SAFC) on Wednesday, 25 March. The primary focus of the trip is to deepen the already existing ties with the city of San Antonio and SAFC, as well as to build new partnerships and engage in mutual knowledge exchange across various areas.
Darmstadt's vice-president Markus Pfitzner was brimming with enthusiasm over their trip to States: "It is truly something special that SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the USA next year, writing a small piece of history in the process," he said. "We are particularly pleased that this trip is part of a relationship that was not artificially created but grew naturally out of the existing partnership between the two cities."
The partnership between the two clubs began in the summer of 2024, and the Lilies' upcoming visit to Texas marks the next step in their cooperation: "Over the past 15 months, our cooperation with San Antonio FC and Spurs Sports and Entertainment has been characterized by close exchange and growing familiarity, and now we are eagerly looking forward to the visit next year," said Pfitzner.
"We will take this opportunity to represent our Lilies values overseas. In addition to the friendly match as the sporting highlight, we are excited to meet the local community, build further networks and partnerships, and also become active in the social sphere."
The clubs's managing director, Martin Kowalewski, is equally excited about the upcoming milestone fixture: "From the moment we signed the official cooperation agreement in July 2024, both sides envisioned a friendly match in San Antonio," he enthused.
"We are very pleased that we have now found a time period that fits both schedules and gives us the opportunity to represent SV Darmstadt 98 in the World Cup year in the DFL’s target market, the USA."
As well as the match on 25 March, the Lilies will train at the SAFC facility throughout their stay. Various meetings with representatives of both cities, SAFC, and SS&E are planned, along with cultural and social activities.
On the schedule for their visit, Kowalewski added: "This trip represents another milestone in our close collaboration with the city of San Antonio and San Antonio FC."
"I am convinced that we will be able to use the on-site visit for intensive knowledge exchange and that we can learn a great deal from an organization like Spurs Sports and Entertainment—not only in sports, but also in many areas that are relevant to our club, such as marketing and merchandising."
Fans interested in accompanying Darmstadt to San Antonio are welcome to contact fanbeauftragter@sv98.de
Related news
Bundesliga 2 transfer centre: January 2026
Read up on all the ins and outs across Germany's second tier throughout the newly opened winter window...
Prtajin wins BL2's Goal of the Year!
Out of 873 goals last year, one stood out above all the others...
Skrzybski wins BL2's December Goal of the Month!
Steven Skrzybski was your pick of the bunch from a 10-goal shortlist that also featured a Noah Pesch thunderbolt and a Mohamed Zoma solo special.