South Korea — Hyundai Motor Company has become the Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League in a new multi-year partnership designed to bring the brand closer to millions of European football fans and showcase its latest vehicles and mobility technology.

The partnership begins with the 2026/27 season and will run through the end of the 2030/31 season, giving Hyundai a platform across one of the world’s biggest annual club football competitions.

The deal builds on Hyundai’s nearly 30-year involvement in football, extending its presence from major international tournaments and club partnerships to the top level of European club football.

Hyundai said the UEFA Champions League provides an opportunity to connect with fans across cultures and communities while highlighting the company’s future direction in areas including electrified vehicles, robotics, physical AI, software and smart mobility.

José Muñoz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor Company,  described the UEFA Champions League as a strong platform for the brand to engage with passionate European fans.

“Football has been part of Hyundai for almost 30 years. It brings people together like almost nothing else, across languages and borders and generations. The UEFA Champions League is the best club football in the world, played every week in front of the most passionate fans in Europe,” said Muñoz. 

“Following Hyundai’s engagement at the World Cup this summer, the UEFA Champions League is an ideal platform to show our beautifully designed vehicles with features fans love. I am from Madrid, so I have watched this competition my whole life. I’m personally excited about engaging with fans across Europe. It’s a great time to celebrate the beautiful game with Hyundai,” added Muñoz. 

The partnership also reflects Hyundai’s focus on the European market, where the company has operated for more than 30 years—with design and engineering in Germany, production in the Czech Republic and Türkiye, and sales spanning 42 European markets. 

The all-electric IONIQ 3 will be the first Hyundai model to represent the brand through the new partnership. Designed and developed in Europe for European customers, the compact hatchback is also the first of five major new models Hyundai plans to launch in Europe during the 2026/27 season.

Xavier Martinet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor Europe, said the UEFA Champions League and Hyundai share a focus on progress, performance and bringing people together. 

“The UEFA Champions League and Hyundai are both driven by progress, performance, and the ambition to bring people together,” said Xavier Martinet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor Europe. “We are entering this partnership with our strongest line-up yet,” said Martinet. 

“IONIQ 3 is the first of five new models we are launching in Europe this season, designed and developed for our customers here in the region, and it is the car that leads our lineup for the future,” added Martinet. 

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director, UC3, said, “We are delighted to welcome Hyundai as an official partner of the UEFA Champions League. Hyundai has a proud history of supporting football at the highest level and a clear belief in its power to bring people together. We look forward to building a partnership that brings that shared ambition to life for fans around the world over the coming years.”

Through the partnership, Hyundai will use the UEFA Champions League platform to engage football audiences while introducing its latest products and demonstrating how its European operations connect global scale with local customer needs.