Hyundai Motor Company has become the Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League under a multi-year agreement running from the 2026/27 season through to the end of the 2030/31 season.
The partnership extends Hyundai’s involvement in football, with the company having supported the sport at international and club level for almost three decades.
Hyundai Motor Europe CEO Xavier Martinet said the partnership comes as the company prepares to introduce five major new models in Europe during the 2026/27 season, led by the all-electric IONIQ 3.
“The UEFA Champions League and Hyundai are both driven by progress, performance, and the ambition to bring people together,” he said.
The partnership will give Hyundai a platform across the 36-club Champions League competition, which attracts a global audience of football fans.
Hyundai said it will also use the partnership to showcase its developments in areas including robotics, physical AI, software and smart mobility solutions.
Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz said the Champions League represents an opportunity to connect with fans across Europe.
“Football has been part of Hyundai for almost 30 years. It brings people together like almost nothing else, across languages and borders and generations,” he said.
The IONIQ 3 will be the first Hyundai model to represent the brand under the partnership. Designed and developed for European customers, the compact electric hatchback entered production at Hyundai’s İzmit plant in Türkiye in August.
UC3 Co-Managing Director Guy-Laurent Epstein welcomed Hyundai to the competition, saying the company has a “proud history of supporting football at the highest level”.
The Champions League partnership follows Hyundai’s involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and strengthens its push to build a bigger presence around major sporting events.
