Hyundai signed a five-season agreement with UEFA to take on the role of official automotive partner of the UEFA Champions League. This announcement was made on Monday (7), and the contract is valid from the 2026/27 season until the end of 2030/31, although the value was not disclosed.
The South Korean automaker fills a gap that has existed since 2021, when Nissan ended its partnership. According to UEFA, this new agreement also covers the UEFA Super Cup, the Youth League, and the Futsal Champions League.
Sponsorships in this sphere go beyond simply placing advertising boards around the field. Generally, the contractual package stipulates sectoral exclusivity, which prohibits competitors from associating with the competition. Furthermore, it includes the provision of the official fleet used for transporting executives, referees, and delegations, as well as the display of vehicles in stadiums and participation in award ceremonies.
Ford, which was the first sponsor in the sector, was designated by UEFA as the official vehicle supplier. In another agreement, such as the one with the Conmebol Libertadores, Hyundai foresees car exhibitions and demonstrations, in addition to being associated with the best player trophy of each match.
Over 34 seasons of the Champions League, the automotive category has had only three sponsors. Ford began its participation in 1992, at the launch of the tournament, and remained until 2014, using the platform to promote models such as Mondeo, Focus, Kuga, and Mustang. Subsequently, Nissan took over from 2014/15 to 2020/21, celebrating the largest sponsorship contract in the history of the Japanese brand. After this period, the spot remained vacant for five years.
In other competitions, the UEFA Champions League features sponsorships from Heineken, PlayStation, Mastercard, Lay's, FedEx, Adidas, Qatar Airways, Crypto.com, and Bet365. It is important to note that Mastercard and PlayStation have been part of this list since the 1990s. Previous cycles also featured Gazprom, UniCredit, and Pepsi.
Hyundai has sponsored FIFA since 1999 and renewed its contract until 2030, which covers the 2026 World Cup. In South America, the brand has supported the Conmebol Libertadores since 2024, an agreement covering the women's, U-20, futsal, and beach soccer formats. Additionally, Hyundai sponsored the Euro Cup until the 2016 edition, alongside Kia.
This move contrasts with the situation of Volkswagen, which withdrew from the UEFA national team category in 2022 and, in 2025, acquired league rights, becoming the official supplier for LaLiga, the global sponsor of Liga F, and the first automotive partner of Serie A.
In Europe, Hyundai operates in 42 markets and has over 2,000 points of sale. The Ioniq 3 model, an electric vehicle with 147 hp and 25.5 kgfm, manufactured in Izmit, Turkey, will be the symbol car of this new partnership.