European soccer governing body UEFA has announced that Chinese fintech heavyweight Ant Group, which owns payment app Alipay, has extended its commercial partnership ahead of the men's Euro 2028 tournament.
Alipay has sponsored UEFA‘s top quadrennial men's event since 2018, when an initial eight-year deal was struck – that agreement has now been extended for a further two years, to cover the 2028 edition.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Ant Group will remain the official payment, wealth management and health assistant partner of Euro 2028, positioning its Alipay, Ant Fortune, and AQ brands across the tournament, including on LED pitchside hoardings throughout the competition.
Furthermore, the firm’s ANT International AI tech platform will also feature, promoting the Alipay+, Antom and WorldFirst brands with payment and accounts services integration in the Chinese market, where the Euro 2028 coverage will be broadcast by OTT streaming service iQIYI.
Speaking on the announcement, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: “Together, we've shown what's possible when football's global passion meets innovative technology, always with fans' experience at the heart of it. Drawing on Ant Group's digital expertise, we look forward to creating new ways for supporters everywhere to feel closer to the game and competitions they love."
Ant Group chief executive Cyril Han added: “Our shared commitment to empowering people through football, payment technology and more inclusive services is what brought Ant Group and UEFA together.
“With globalization as one of our core strategies and football as a universal language that connects people around the world, we are excited to work with UEFA to help fans around the world experience the passion and joy of the game in new ways, while unlocking new possibilities through payment technology.”
The initial eight-year partnership between Ant and UEFA was worth a reported $230 million, covering two European Championships (2020, 2024), as well as four editions of the new UEFA Nations League finals, in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025.
This extended deal follows UEFA expanding its partnership with workwear brand Engelbert Strauss for Euro 2028 also, serving as a global partner of the tournament.
The agreement builds on Strauss’ involvement as the official workwear partner of UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. The brand has also been a partner of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League club competitions since 2021.
