Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.
Few things are loved in Europe more than the UEFA Champions League. In fact, it’s hard to think of anything that would rank higher among the people at large. With that in mind, it is unsurprising and notable that Hyundai has become a sponsor of the Champions League. Thankfully, it’s leaning into this with an electric focus.
“Hyundai Motor Company becomes Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League in a multi-year partnership, beginning with the 2026/27 season,” the company writes. “Designed in Europe for European customers, IONIQ 3 is the first of five major models Hyundai will launch in Europe during the 2026/27 season and the first to represent the brand in the partnership.”
I’ve written before about BYD trying to win the hearts and minds (and wallets) of Europeans by sponsoring top soccer/football teams. Hyundai is now going down that road, but in a broader, less team-specific way. That said, the company has also gone the former way in the past in some places. Here’s how the company puts it: “Football is familiar ground. For almost 30 years Hyundai has supported the game at its highest levels, from the largest international tournaments to clubs and associations around the world. The UEFA Champions League extends that commitment to the pinnacle of European club football.”
