Alibaba lands UEFA partnership covering EURO 2028 and men’s club competitions
Alibaba Group has struck a multi-year partnership with UEFA and UC3 to supply AI, cloud and e-commerce capabilities across UEFA EURO 2028 and UEFA’s men’s club competitions, tightening the link between technology infrastructure, fan engagement and commercial delivery.
UEFA and UC3 have named Alibaba Group as a global AI, cloud computing and e-commerce partner for UEFA EURO 2028 and for UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027 to 2033.The agreement covers UEFA’s flagship men’s club properties, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, alongside UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland from June 9 to July 9 2028.UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “We are delighted to welcome Alibaba as a global partner for UEFA EURO 2028 and as a future partner of our men’s club competitions. Their expertise in artificial intelligence, cloud computing technology, and e-commerce will support UEFA’s commitment to thoughtful innovation and to enhancing the experience of supporters around the world.”Alibaba said it will activate the partnership through Alibaba Cloud, its Qwen AI models and the AliExpress e-commerce platform, positioning the deal as a technology and distribution relationship rather than a traditional brand visibility package.The parties said the technology stack will be used to deliver “intelligent innovations” across operations, content workflows and digital fan products, with an emphasis on personalisation and more immersive experiences across UEFA’s leading competitions.Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group chairman, said: “I believe that football is a shared language around the world, and the unifying power of the game at all levels for all fans is the mission that brings Alibaba and UEFA together.”From a rights-holder perspective, the partnership underlines UEFA’s push to embed enterprise-grade cloud and AI into tournament and competition delivery, spanning everything from media and content management to supporter-facing services.The inclusion of AliExpress also signals a commercial ambition around licensed merchandise access and cross-border fulfilment, as rights owners look to convert global interest into direct-to-consumer revenue without relying solely on local retail networks.UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs that manages commercial rights for UEFA club competitions, is positioned as Alibaba’s counterpart on the club side as the partnership moves from announcement to implementation ahead of the 2027-28 season.