Hyundai Motor Company has entered into a multi-year partnership with the UEFA Champions League, becoming the competition’s Official Automotive Partner from the 2026/27 season through the end of the 2030/31 season.
The partnership strengthens Hyundai’s long-standing connection with football and gives the automaker a major platform to showcase its latest vehicles and future mobility technologies to football fans across Europe.
The announcement was made on September 9, 2026, in Offenbach, Germany.
A New Chapter in Hyundai’s Football Partnership
Hyundai has supported football for nearly 30 years, working with major international tournaments, clubs and football associations around the world.
The UEFA Champions League partnership takes that involvement into European club football’s highest-profile competition. Hyundai said the partnership reflects similarities between the two organisations, with the Champions League bringing together players from around the world to compete at the highest level in Europe, while Hyundai operates globally while designing, engineering and manufacturing vehicles in Europe.
José Muñoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said football has been an important part of Hyundai’s identity for almost three decades and highlighted its ability to connect people across languages, borders and generations.
The company will use the partnership to engage with fans while showcasing its vehicles and developments in areas including smart mobility and emerging technologies.
IONIQ 3 Leads Hyundai’s New European Lineup
The first Hyundai model to represent the brand through the partnership will be the all-electric IONIQ 3.
Designed and developed in Europe for European customers, the compact hatchback is the first of five major new models Hyundai plans to launch in Europe during the 2026/27 season.
The IONIQ 3 made its debut at Milan Design Week earlier in 2026 and entered production at Hyundai’s İzmit plant in Türkiye in August, becoming the facility’s first battery-electric vehicle to enter production.
The vehicle has been designed for Europe’s highly competitive compact-car segment. Its Aero Hatch design has a drag coefficient of 0.263 Cd and offers up to 497 kilometres of range under the WLTP testing standard.
It also features 441 litres of trunk space, a 14.6-inch display and Hyundai’s latest PLEOS Connect infotainment system.
Hyundai said the model reflects its broader goal of making electric mobility more accessible while continuing to offer customers a range of powertrain options, including battery-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel-cell and internal-combustion vehicles.
Hyundai Expands Its European EV Focus
The new partnership comes as Hyundai continues to expand its electrified vehicle range in Europe.
The company currently operates across 42 European markets through more than 2,000 sales and aftersales outlets. Its European Technical Centre and Design Centre are based in Rüsselsheim, Germany, while production takes place at facilities in the Czech Republic and Türkiye.
Hyundai has also received recognition for its electric vehicles, with the INSTER named 2025 World Electric Vehicle and the IONIQ 9 named Germany’s 2026 Premium Car of the Year.
The company has said it aims to electrify its entire European model lineup by 2027.
Connecting Football With Future Mobility
The UEFA Champions League attracts a global audience and is one of the world’s most-watched annual club football competitions. Hyundai plans to use the partnership to highlight its future direction across areas such as robotics, physical AI, software and smart mobility.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe, said the partnership reflects shared ambitions around progress, performance and bringing people together.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director of UC3, also welcomed Hyundai as a UEFA Champions League partner, pointing to the automaker’s long history in football and its focus on connecting people.
The partnership will run until the end of the 2030/31 season, giving Hyundai several years to build its presence around European club football while introducing its latest vehicles and mobility technologies to fans across the continent.
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