Home brands sharpen sport sponsorship

Hisense represents a similar evolution.

The company's overseas revenue now accounts for roughly half of total sales, according to company data, reflecting the importance of international markets in its strategy.

Having used the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to build brand visibility, the company is now moving deeper into tournament operations. As FIFA's official display technology partner for the video assistant referee system, Hisense provides RGB Mini LED display technology used in officiating operations during the tournament.

"Chinese companies are no longer simply buying advertising boards around stadiums," said Wang Xueli, director of the center for development of sports industry at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management.

"They are becoming part of the technological infrastructure behind major international sporting events."

While China's established global brands are embedding themselves into FIFA's technology ecosystem, a broader group of Chinese consumer brands is pursuing a different path.

Rather than paying for official tournament sponsorship rights, many companies are partnering with national teams, soccer stars, influencers and local digital platforms to target specific consumer groups in overseas markets.

The home-robotics and smart-appliance maker Dreame Technology recently signed Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo as a global brand ambassador ahead of the tournament.

For Dreame, whose overseas business accounted for nearly 80 percent of total revenue in 2025, the World Cup is less about introducing the brand to consumers and more about strengthening brand recognition and emotional connection.

Chang Xinwei, global president of Dreame Technology, said the era of "buying exposure and hoping for results" was fading.

Consumers increasingly place greater trust in recommendations from content creators, communities and personalities they identify with than traditional advertising, he said.

"The goal used to be getting people to see us," Chang said. "Now it is getting people to want to engage with us."

Other Chinese brands have adopted similar approaches.

Luckin Coffee, Changan Automobile and Cotti Coffee are among companies that have partnered with national teams including Portugal and defending champion Argentina, targeting highly engaged fan communities rather than mass audiences.

The strategy allows companies to target specific markets at a fraction of the cost of official FIFA sponsorship while generating more measurable returns.

Analysts say the shift reflects a broader evolution among Chinese companies as they move from gaining awareness overseas to building long-term brand equity development.

"In the past, many Chinese brands used global sporting events to establish basic awareness," Wang said. "Today, they are increasingly using those events to strengthen positioning in mid — and high-end markets and deepen engagement with consumers."

Beyond the marketing, Chinese companies remain deeply embedded in the commercial and industrial ecosystem surrounding the World Cup.

From officially licensed merchandise and consumer products to display technologies and digital infrastructure, Chinese firms continue to play an important role in the tournament's supply chain.

In Yiwu, Zhejiang province, a global hub for small commodity manufacturing, local manufacturers have long produced World Cup-related goods ranging from flags to souvenirs.