Mastercard has extended its longstanding sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, alongside a new deal for the UEFA Super Cup.
The extension of the sponsorship deal, stretching until 2027, was revealed after the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium, marking 30 years of Mastercard’s partnership with the tournament.
Additionally, the renewed agreement includes sponsorship privileges for the UEFA Super Cup in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Through its partnership with the UEFA Champions League, Mastercard will provide cardholders globally with unique experiences. Among these is the chance for cardholders’ children to walk onto the pitch with the best European teams.
This is something that the payment giant has offered before. Last year, Mastercard offered fans the chance to walk out with Lionel Messi via a sweepstake – a competition that saw one fan walk out of the tunnel with Messi ahead of the second leg of the Round of 16 Champions League tie between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard, said: “As a proud sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for 30 years, we have helped create incredible experiences on and off the pitch and witnessed the intense passion that fans have for this competition.
“Connecting our cardholders to their passions – and each other – is at the heart of our brand, and we are thrilled to continue bringing fans closer to the UEFA Champions League action in the years to come.”
Additionally, the two organisations will continue to work together on global initiatives, with a special focus on the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Although the competition is exclusively for European clubs, the longstanding partnership has been leveraged in the past to help Mastercard increase its presence around the world. Last year, the payments company unveiled a card scheme with the Saudi National Bank, which was Champions League themed.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA, commented: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Mastercard until 2027. For over three decades, Mastercard has been an unwavering supporter of the UEFA Champions League, bringing fans and cardholders priceless moments and unparalleled experiences.
“Entering this new era of UEFA men’s club competitions, we’re excited to continue this extraordinary journey together – one of the longest standing partnerships in world football – ensuring fans continue to enjoy the very best of the beautiful game on the ultimate stage.”