Hyundai has signed a five-season agreement with UEFA to become the official automotive partner of the UEFA Champions League. The announcement was made on Monday (7) and the contract is valid for the 2026/27 season until the end of 2030/31, with no value disclosed.
The South Korean automaker has occupied an empty seat since 2021, when Nissan terminated its contract. According to UEFA, the agreement also covers the UEFA Super Cup, the Youth League and the futsal Champions League.
Sponsorships in this category go beyond the advertising boards around the field. The package usually provides for sectoral exclusivity, which prevents competitors from joining the competition, in addition to the supply of the official fleet used in the transport of delegations, referees and officials, exhibition of vehicles in the stadiums and presence at awards.
Ford, the first sponsor in the sector, was designated by UEFA as the official supplier of vehicles. In Hyundai’s contract with Conmebol Libertadores, for example, vehicle exhibitions and demonstrations and the trophy for the best player of each match are planned.
Who has sponsored the Champions League
The automotive category has had only three owners in 34 Champions League seasons. Ford entered in 1992, at the launch of the competition, and stayed until 2014, using the showcase to launch models such as Mondeo, Focus, Kuga and Mustang. Nissan took over from 2014/15 to 2020/21, in the largest sponsorship contract in the history of the Japanese brand. Then, the vacancy was without a buyer for five years.
In the other categories, the competition brings together Heineken, PlayStation, Mastercard, Lay’s, FedEx, Adidas, Qatar Airways, Crypto.com and Bet365. Mastercard and PlayStation have been on the list since the 1990s. Gazprom, UniCredit and Pepsi have gone through previous cycles.
Nissan’s partnership with Uefa even yielded Kicks in a Champions League-themed series in Brazil (Photo: Nissan | Disclosure)
Hyundai in football
The company has sponsored FIFA since 1999 and renewed the contract until 2030, which included the 2026 World Cup. In South America, it has sponsored Conmebol Libertadores since 2024, an agreement that covers the women’s, under-20, futsal and beach soccer versions. Alongside Kia, the brand sponsored the European Championship until the 2016 edition.
The move contrasts with that of Volkswagen, which left UEFA’s national team category in 2022 and, in 2025, bought league rights: it became an official supplier to LaLiga, a global sponsor of League F and the first automotive partner of Serie A.
In Europe, Hyundai operates in 42 markets and more than 2,000 points of sale. The Ioniq 3, an electric vehicle with 147 hp and 25.5 kgfm produced in İzmit, Turkey, will be the symbol model of the partnership.
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