Vodafone has made a decisive move into European football, signing a multi-year partnership with UEFA that will span both the women’s and men’s games.
The deal positions Vodafone at the heart of UEFA Women’s Football until 2030, covering the Champions League, EURO 2029, Nations League and youth tournaments, while also bringing the telecoms giant into the men’s UEFA Champions League as a licensed partner for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons.
For Ireland, where Vodafone is one of the country’s most visible consumer brands and a prominent sporting sponsor, the partnership could place Irish customers in direct line for new digital fan experiences, most notably through Vodafone’s “Champions Travel eSIM” product.
Launched alongside the deal, the eSIM will provide fans travelling to games, whether that’s Irish supporters heading to a Champions League fixture or those following the Republic of Ireland women’s team in future European tournaments, with instant access to data in more than 200 countries, including all 55 UEFA member associations.
For UEFA, the deal strikes the right note in terms of connecting fans, and it will be interesting to see how the partnership develops across Europe and here in Ireland, where the sports sponsorship spotlight has been firmly on rugby in recent years.
Image Credit Vodafone
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