Hyundai Becomes Official Automotive Partner Of The UEFA Champions League
Hyundai has become the official automotive partner of the UEFA Champions League, signing a multi year agreement that runs across five seasons of Europe's biggest club competition.
- Term: the 2026/27 season through to the end of 2030/31
- Competition: the 36 club UEFA Champions League
- Football history: Hyundai has supported the sport for almost 30 years
- Lead product: the all electric IONIQ 3, one of five new models launching in Europe during 2026/27
- UEFA side: Guy-Laurent Epstein, co-managing director of UC3, UEFA's joint venture with European clubs
Why Hyundai Went For Club Football Now
The company has backed football for close to three decades, across international tournaments, clubs and football associations, but the Champions League takes it to the top of the European club game. It cites research suggesting roughly one in three people worldwide is interested in the competition, which is the kind of reach that justifies a five season commitment rather than a one off activation.
President and chief executive José Muñoz said the competition offers a way to connect with football fans across Europe and show the company's vehicles and technology, noting that he is from Madrid and has followed the tournament all his life. The deal sits under Hyundai's Progress for Humanity positioning, with the company saying it will use the platform to connect communities and promote mobility and technology across Europe.
The Product The Sponsorship Is Carrying
Hyundai Motor Europe chief executive Xavier Martinet framed the Champions League as a stage for a European product push: five new models during the 2026/27 season, led by the IONIQ 3. The compact electric hatchback was designed in Europe for European customers and entered production at the İzmit plant in Türkiye in August, the first battery electric vehicle built there.
Its specifications are aimed squarely at the segment: a claimed drag coefficient of 0.263, up to 497 km of WLTP range, 441 litres of boot space and a 14.6 inch display running the PLEOS Connect system. Hyundai has been in Europe for more than 30 years, with its technical and design centres in Rüsselsheim, manufacturing in the Czech Republic and Türkiye, and sales across 42 markets through more than 2,000 outlets. Beyond vehicles it plans to use the platform for robotics, physical AI, software and smart mobility. More brand news.
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