Hyundai takes IONIQ 3 into the UEFA Champions League
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The five-season UEFA Champions League partnership will begin in the 2026/27 season, with the new IONIQ 3 set to become the first model showcased under the global agreement
Fresh from its involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hyundai is expanding its global football presence by becoming the Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League. The five-season UEFA agreement begins with the 2026/27 season and runs through 2030/31, positioning the brand alongside Europe’s premier club football competition. Hyundai says football has been central to its global sponsorship strategy for nearly 30 years, spanning major international tournaments, football clubs and associations worldwide.
IONIQ 3 gets the Champions League spotlight
The all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 3 will be the first model showcased under the UEFA Champions League partnership, as the Korean automaker leverages the platform to support its wider European electric mobility push.
Designed in Europe for European customers, the compact electric hatchback debuted at Milan Design Week in early 2026 and entered production in August at Hyundai Motor Türkiye’s İzmit plant, becoming the facility’s first battery-electric vehicle.
It is also the first of five major new Hyundai models planned for Europe during the 2026/27 UEFA season rollout.
Up to 497 km of WLTP range
The IONIQ 3 features Hyundai’s Aero Hatch design language and achieves a drag coefficient of 0.263 Cd, while WLTP driving range extends up to 497 km. It also delivers 441 litres of luggage capacity and includes a 14.6-inch infotainment display powered by Pleos Connect.
A huge football audience
Hyundai describes the UEFA Champions League as the world’s most-watched annual club football competition, with around one in three people globally interested in the tournament. The competition features 36 elite clubs, giving Hyundai access to a massive international football audience.
Hyundai also plans to use the UEFA partnership to showcase its broader technology vision beyond vehicles, including robotics, physical AI, software-defined mobility and smart mobility solutions.
Hyundai strengthens its European presence
Hyundai says its UEFA Champions League partnership reflects its long-term European growth strategy. The company develops and engineers vehicles at its technical centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, while production is based in the Czech Republic and Türkiye.
Hyundai vehicles are sold across 42 European markets through more than 2,000 sales and aftersales outlets, with over 70 per cent of vehicles in the region engineered, tested or manufactured in Europe.
Five-season UEFA agreement
The UEFA Champions League partnership is being managed through UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs responsible for commercial rights across UEFA club competitions.
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