Porsche ends ties with 2014 World Cup winner Sami Khedira
In a quiet boardroom in Stuttgart, the final papers were signed. Porsche and Sami Khedira have agreed to end their partnership when the current contract expires, the German carmaker confirmed.
The 2014 World Cup winner had become a familiar face in Porsche’s marketing campaigns, but the luxury brand is now pulling back as part of a sweeping cost-cutting drive across the Volkswagen Group. A Porsche spokesperson told that both sides had mutually decided not to extend their collaboration beyond the existing term.
Khedira’s role as a brand ambassador came with tangible perks: two Porsche SUVs as company cars and an annual fee reported to be around €200,000. Those vehicles will have to be returned by the end of the year, according to ’s report.
From pitch to studio
Since retiring from professional football, Khedira has maintained a high public profile. He worked as a television pundit for the streaming service , appeared as a brand ambassador for an office-furniture manufacturer, and promoted Porsche’s “Turbo für Talente” talent-development initiative.
His most recent on-screen appearance came during the 2026 World Cup, where he served as a TV expert. The German broadcaster’s coverage drew on Khedira’s first-hand experience as a World Cup winner.
Real Madrid call beckons
Khedira has already lined up his next move. In a statement carried by his former employer , he described the coaching role at Real Madrid as “the opportunity to take the next step in my sporting career.”
The Spanish giants have turned to former manager José Mourinho to steady the ship after a trophyless season. Mourinho, who guided Real to the Spanish title, the national cup and the Super Cup during Khedira’s playing days, has brought his former midfield lieutenant back as one of his assistants.
Khedira’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu coincides with a period of instability at the club. The dismissal of Xabi Alonso mid-season was followed by a similar exit for Álvaro Arbeloa, prompting club president Florentino Pérez to reappoint Mourinho in an attempt to restore order.
Corporate retreat
Porsche’s retreat follows sharp losses at both Volkswagen and its Stuttgart-based subsidiary. In the first half of the current financial year, Volkswagen took impairments of €3 billion on its Porsche SE stake, while Porsche itself booked €200 million in write-downs. Over the full year, Porsche SE posted a €2.2 billion loss after recording a €300 million profit the previous year.
The group is consolidating across brands and markets, a strategy that has already led to the withdrawal of luxury-car perks for several high-profile ambassadors.
Khedira, who turned 39 in April, has not publicly commented on the end of his Porsche collaboration.