Chery Signs Major Partnership for Soccer Aid 2026 Celebrity Football Event
Chinese automotive manufacturer Chery has been announced as a principal partner for this year's Soccer Aid for UNICEF UK, marking a significant sponsorship deal for the annual celebrity charity football match. The event, which celebrates its 20th anniversary, will return to London Stadium on 31 May 2026, bringing together football legends and entertainment personalities to raise crucial funds for children's welfare worldwide.
Strategic Partnership Details and Vehicle Deployment
The comprehensive partnership will see Chery serve as both the official car partner and official broadcast partner for matchday coverage airing on ITV1 and STV. The brand's plug-in hybrid Tiggo SUV models – including the Tiggo 7, Tiggo 8, and flagship Tiggo 9 – are expected to play a pivotal logistical role, transporting celebrity players and football legends between training sessions and the main event at London Stadium.
With dozens of high-profile participants descending upon the capital in the days preceding kick-off, Chery's spacious SUV lineup will prove invaluable for moving players, pundits, and event organizers efficiently around London. The vehicles will also be prominently displayed throughout the stadium complex on matchday, offering attending fans opportunities to examine Chery's latest models firsthand while enjoying the football spectacle and entertainment programming.
Star-Studded Lineup and Charitable Impact
The 2026 Soccer Aid event features an eclectic mix of confirmed participants including founder Robbie Williams alongside notable figures such as actors Tom Hiddleston and Paddy McGuinness, sports personalities Wayne Rooney and Usain Bolt, television presenters Olly Murs and Jordan North, former England footballer Jill Scott, and rugby player Joe Marler. This diverse roster continues Soccer Aid's tradition of uniting celebrities from various fields for charitable purposes.
Since its creation in 2006, Soccer Aid has generated over £121 million for UNICEF's global initiatives supporting children's health, safety, and wellbeing. Last year's event alone contributed more than £15 million to these vital programs, demonstrating the substantial impact of this annual fundraising spectacle that regularly attracts approximately 70,000 spectators to London Stadium.
Marketing Expansion and Global UNICEF Collaboration
Chery's Soccer Aid partnership represents a strategic extension of the brand's growing UK marketing presence following its market launch last year with the Tiggo SUV family. This sponsorship follows another recent promotional campaign featuring former England and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch alongside his wife Abbey Clancy, which highlighted the family-oriented practicality of the Tiggo 9 plug-in hybrid SUV.
Farrell Hsu, Country Director at CHERY UK, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: "We're delighted to announce our principal partnership with Soccer Aid, a unique event that brings families together across the UK to support the vital work of UNICEF. Our new collaboration not only allows us to support an event that truly matters to our customers, but it also underlines a longstanding partnership between Chery and UNICEF on an international stage."
The sponsorship reinforces Chery's established global relationship with UNICEF, with parent company Chery International having committed $12 million since 2023 to support the charity's international education programs. This Soccer Aid partnership provides Chery with a prominent platform reaching millions of television viewers and thousands of stadium attendees, significantly boosting brand visibility as the Chinese automaker continues expanding its British market presence.
