In a special delivery mission with Austrian Post, skydiver Sophie Grill jumped into the
Austrian national team’s Santa Barbara base carrying a backpack of fan messages,
days before the team face reigning champions Argentina at the World Cup.
In Brief
● What: Austrian Post delivered thousands of handwritten fan messages to Austria’s
national football team, completing the final stretch of the journey via skydive.
● When: 19 June 2026.
● Where: Storke Field, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), California, the
team’s tournament base.
● Who: Skydiver Sophie Grill (26) made the drop; Austrian football players including
Alessandro Schöpf, Phillipp Mwene and Florian Wiegele, received the delivery; Peter Umundum,
Deputy CEO Parcels & Logistics, Austrian Post Group.
● Why now: Delivery lands days before Austria face reigning world champions
Argentina on Monday 22 June at Dallas Stadium.
Vienna/Santa Barbara, 19 June 2026 – Austrian Post has delivered the nation’s support to
Austria’s national football team in spectacular fashion, with a special delivery from the sky
over the team base at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Skydiver Sophie Grill
jumped in over Storke Field to deliver fan messages directly to the players. It was the final
stretch of a journey Austrian Post had carried across the Atlantic, and a timely lift days
before Austria meet reigning champions Argentina.
Thousands of fan letters from Austria to California
While the team prepared in the United States, fans back home filled envelopes with handwritten notes, drawings, photos and good-luck messages, every one collected and transported by Austrian Post. Grill brought the first batch in from the air, while the rest of the shipment followed by electric vehicle, completing a delivery mission the players would not forget.
Austria players react to fan messages
“There were so many wonderful letters,” said midfielder Alessandro Schöpf. “Messages like these give us an extra boost of motivation for the matches ahead.” Teammate Phillipp Mwene added: “You can really feel the excitement and the level of support. It means a lot to us and gives us strength – especially knowing that we have such incredible backing from all across Austria.”
Skydiver Sophie Grill’s jump over Storke Field
This was a delivery run like no other. Grill leapt from the helicopter at 1,200 metres (3,940 feet) above Storke Field, the 26-year-old freefalling for ten seconds before her canopy opened at 650 metres (2,130 feet), and touched down minutes later, a bag of fan mail with her. “I’m proud to help deliver these powerful messages and create a connection between the team and their supporters back home,” she said. One letter, written by a young Austrian girl, had its entire journey documented on camera, from posting in Austria to its arrival in the United States, a single message representing the thousands alongside it.
Austria face Argentina after beating Jordan 3-1
The support arrives at the right moment. On Monday 22 June at Dallas Stadium, Austria face the standout fixture of Group J, world champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi who began the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria. Austria head into the match with confidence, having beaten Jordan 3-1 in San Francisco in their opening game on US soil. It was the country’s first World Cup victory in 36 years, on a tournament return after a 28-year absence.
“It made for a very special ‘last mile’,” said Peter Umundum, Deputy CEO Parcels & Logistics, Austrian Post Group. “I hope we were able to give the players an extra boost of motivation for the matches ahead. This initiative shows what’s possible when team spirit and logistics come together. I wish the Austrian national team every success in the upcoming games.”
Fans can still send messages
Fans can still post their personal messages to the team. Austrian Post will continue to collect and deliver every one, true to its promise: “Always there when you need us.”
Editorial content from the delivery mission – free of charge for editorial use – is available, including news cut, social news clips, hero clips in 16:9 and 9:16, and a best-answers snippet, in English and German. Download here: https://postag.3mpg.ch/p/TJXBgOys25OVDrCVRlCMdxMd
Fact Sheet
(as of June 2026)
- The mission: Austrian Post delivered thousands of fan messages from across Austria to the national team in California, completing the last mile from the sky.
- The drop: Sophie Grill jumped from 1,200 m (3,940 ft) above Storke Field, freefell for ten seconds, opened her 280 sq ft (26 sq m) canopy at 650 m (2,130 ft) and landed seven minutes later with fan messages.
- Organiser: Austrian Post fan mail initiative.
- Location: University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) – Storke Field, Santa Barbara, California.
- Volume: thousands of handwritten notes, drawings, photos and good-luck messages, every one routed through Austrian Post’s network.
- Clean delivery: the remaining messages followed by electric vehicle, keeping the delivery as clean as it was spectacular.
- On the pitch: Austria beat Jordan 3-1 in San Francisco on 17 June for their first World Cup win in 36 years, with reigning champions Argentina up next on Monday 22 June at the Dallas Stadium.
- The team: Austria are led by head coach Ralf Rangnick and captain David Alaba, with this their first World Cup finals appearance since 1998.
- Tournament history: Austria’s best World Cup finish remains third place in 1954.
- Austrian Post: the company processes over 200 million parcels a year across a network of nearly 1,700 service points, with a focus on CO2-neutral, electric last-mile delivery – the same green approach used to bring the fan support to the team.
CONTACT FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Fabian Ress
fabian.ress@3mpg.ch
+49 173 2488404