Alibaba Cloud has been selected as the AI and cloud computing partner for the Union of European Football (soccer) Associations (UEFA) and UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC).

Under the agreement, Alibaba will be the exclusive provider of cloud and AI computing services to the football groups from the 2027/2028 leagues to 2032/2033, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League.

Alibaba will also serve as the e-commerce partner for UEFA.

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. Together, we can bring fans closer to the game in new and meaningful ways - making our competitions feel even more captivating, engaging and accessible, while preserving the traditions, emotions and spirit that define European football."

"We 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," said Joe Tsai, chairman of Alibaba Group. "I am excited to work with UEFA to realize the vision of this multi-year partnership, where we will commit our cloud computing, full-stack AI, and global e-commerce capabilities to support UEFA and UC3 to deliver these iconic competitions to global fans."

On the cloud and AI side, Alibaba will support UEFA in building its own AI capabilities to support fan engagement and media and content management, using Alibaba's Qwen LLM.

Alibaba Cloud is also the preferred cloud and AI partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and supported the Winter Games earlier this year.

Alibaba Cloud has multiple European regions, including the UK, Germany, and France.

In early May, UK telco BT announced it had been selected as the telecoms partner for UEFA Euro 2028.

UEFA is the governing body of football in Europe, spanning 55 national associations. 97.5 percent of its net revenue is reinvested into the sport's operations and promotion. Its headquarters are located in Nyon, Switzerland.