BVB X One Piece collab has anime and football fans asking them to "make a jersey"

Modified Mar 25, 2025 04:30 GMT

BVB X One Piece collab has anime and football fans asking them to "make a jersey" (Image via X@BlackYellow)

On March 22, 2025, the BVB X One Piece collaboration was announced during a Stage Event of Anime Japan 2025. It would be in effect on March 30, when Borussia Dortmund faces Mainz 05.

As a part of the event, numerous merchandise were announced, including a limited amount of goodie bags and cards themed after the anime series.

While the collaboration-themed merchandise might seem enough, the fans want more. Their top request was a collaboration jersey capturing the colors of both the German club and Toei Animation's anime series.

Disclaimer: This article expresses the opinions of the writer.

BVB X One Piece collaboration announced for March 30, 2025

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During One Piece's Stage Panel on Anime Japan 2025, the hosts (some of the main voice casting) announced a new collaboration with the German giant Borussia Dortmund. Carsten Cramer, Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund, stated the following:

“Many of our players are big ONE PIECE fans, so Borussia Dortmund has had already a natural connection to the anime for a long time. Last year we did activations together during our tour in Asia. Now ONE PIECE visits our stadium in Dortmund – it is the logical next step of our partnership and we are excited to host them.”

The panel also announced the collaboration's effective date, which will be on March 30, 2025, and a commemorative visual featuring the Straw Hat Pirates in the German club's football jersey. Later on, the specifics of this collaboration were announced through BVB's official website.

Tony Tony Chopper as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

On the collaboration's effective date, Borussia Dortmund is going against a fellow German club FSV Mainz 05 in a league match. During the match, the club would offer different activities in collaboration with the One Piece anime. Firstly, there will be a walk act featuring EMMA, the German club's mascot, and Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hat Pirates' doctor.

From March 24 to April 5, fans could also try the One Piece card as a part of an exhibition inside Signal Iduna Park (Borussia Dortmund's stadium). Moreover, purchases at this exhibition would let some fans win the exclusive BVB X One Piece promo card.

Similarly, limited goodie bags (consisting of collaboration-themed items) will also be distributed among fans. Among all these merchandise, one item was missing and fans let the German club know through the internet. That item was a BVB X One Piec jersey.

Reactions from the fans

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The absence of a jersey was leaving fans restless as they made the German club know that a football jersey with a combination of colors with the Straw Hat Pirates was a must-have in this collaboration.

On the other hand, some fans admired the collaboration's beauty and branded Sanji as a part of the German club, presumably due to the Straw Hat's similar hair color to the club's flag.

'NEED THE BVB JERSEY,' a fan said.

'I must say you have hit the nail on the head,' another fan said.

On the other hand, some fans took the collaboration to another level and compared it to the talk of the town anime, Solo Leveling, claiming that the A-1 Pictures series couldn't come close to such big collaborations.

'Sanji is clearly a Dortmund player,' another one said.

'Solo leveling can never lol,' another fan said.

Final thoughts

Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

In 2024, during the German club's Asia Tour, Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a collaboration with Toei Animation where the players wore the series' iconic Straw Hat and posed in Luffy's iconic pose. So, the German club isn't new to expressing its love for Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece.

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About the author

Umer is an anime and manga expert at Sportskeeda with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Biotechnology. He chose to deviate from his original career path due to his love for anime, and wishes to encourage more people to experience the genre through his work. He has previously worked at niche anime-centered media website Anime Senpai for around 1.5 years.

Umer believes in cross-checking facts with official sources and strives to produce well-rounded articles through thorough research. He is a fan of anime series like 'Made in Abyss,' 'One Piece,' and 'Clannad,' and also loves indulging in manga including 'Monster,' 'Yotsubato!,' and any series by Junji Ito. He admires 'One Piece' author Eiichiro Oda and is inspired by how he intricately weaves a narrative and seamlessly connects loose links.

Apart from immersing himself in a wide array of anime and manga, Umer also collects physical copies of manga series to support his favorite authors. When he's not working, he enjoys reading classic literature and watching soccer.

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Edited by Bharath S