--- title: "Chinese Brands’ Sponsorship Focus Shifts to National Teams From FIFA World Cup" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/293168862.md" description: "Chinese brands are shifting their 2026 FIFA World Cup sponsorship strategy from general tournament support to targeted partnerships with national teams like Argentina and Spain. This move reflects a broader trend toward refined, in-depth cooperation aimed at tangible commercial returns rather than mere brand exposure. Companies such as TCL and Vatti are leveraging these sponsorships for risk hedging and precise marketing operations, focusing on converting fan engagement into sales through co-branded products and offline events." datetime: "2026-07-20T06:02:07.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/293168862.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293168862.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/293168862.md) --- # Chinese Brands’ Sponsorship Focus Shifts to National Teams From FIFA World Cup (Yicai) July 20 -- There has been a prominent shift in Chinese companies’ sponsorship attitude at the 2026 FIFA World Cup compared to previous editions, as more and more of them have partnered with national teams directly, rather than sponsoring the competition. Chinese brands’ core sponsorship strategy at this year’s World Cup has shifted toward refined, in-depth cooperation with national teams, Li Jiang, executive director of sports marketing intelligence platform Yutang Sports, told Yicai. The number of Chinese firms sponsoring the World Cup fell to three this edition from six the previous one, Li noted. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese partners of defending champion Argentina nearly doubled to 15 from eight, and that of this year’s winner Spain increased to four from two, he added. Industrial giant TCL Technology sponsored three national teams at the 2026 World Cup: Argentina, Germany, and Spain, turning this year's World Cup final into an all-TCL showdown. By backing multiple influential national teams, the company aimed to hedge marketing risks stemming from the poor performance of single teams, securing consistent brand exposure throughout the tournament, Li explained. Soccer events have been TCL’s core marketing platform for years in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, a spokesperson told Yicai. The company’s share in the Argentinian television market climbed to 19.6 percent in June from 16.4 percent a year earlier, according to data from global market research firm GfK. Kitchen appliance leader Vatti sponsored the winning team twice out of the past three World Cups. It teamed up with Spain this year and France in 2018. In 2022, it had partnered with Portugal, which was eliminated at the quarter-finals. When asked about the decision to sponsor Spain this time, a Vatti staffer told Yicai that the firm evaluated several top contenders and then picked Spain due to the squad’s many young talents and strong potential. Li believes that the shift in Chinese brands’ sponsorship attitude is part of a broader marketing adjustment. During previous World Cups, most of them prioritized pure brand exposure, but this time, they collaborated with partners to launch limited-edition co-branded products, built offline display and promotional venues overseas, cooperated with tournament broadcasters and short-video platforms, and held offline fan events to host match-watching interactive activities. These measures created a complete conversion pathway, turning tournament traffic into product sales, with far greater emphasis placed on tangible results and real commercial returns generated by marketing spending, he explained. “Sponsoring Argentina and Spain exposed the shift of Chinese sports marketing from extensive, unfocused advertising placement to refined, precise operation,” Li said. “It demonstrates that leading Chinese brands have established comprehensive sports marketing frameworks covering rights deployment, content operation, scenario-based conversion, and risk management.” Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione ### Related Stocks - [01070.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/01070.HK.md) - [000100.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/000100.CN.md) - [002035.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/002035.CN.md) - [GFK.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GFK.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [01:46 ETŽivot inšpirovaný AI: vstúpte do inšpiratívneho priestoru TCL na veľtrhu IFA 2026](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296181664.md) - [Spain Soccer Team’s Chinese Sponsors Fulfill Their Promises After World Cup Win](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293299009.md) - [Globo deploys Enensys DTV+ headend to broadcast 4K FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Brazil](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295772191.md) - [08:54 ETAmericas Cardroom Launches Its Record-Setting $15 Million Dual Venoms](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296109899.md) - [Infront brokers Benediktiner Weissbräu sponsorship deal with IBU Biathlon through 2029/30](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295762122.md)