Hyundai Motor is revving up its commitment to Southeast Asia with a brand-new title partnership for the region’s most prestigious football tournament – the ASEAN Hyundai Cup.
The South Korean marque has long dabbled in the world of sports sponsorships, with FIFA, CONMEBOL, and now, the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) all under its belt.
With the ASEAN Hyundai Cup, Hyundai is going full throttle into the heart of Southeast Asia, tapping into the region’s unparalleled passion for football and transforming it into a canvas for brand storytelling.
From Vietnam’s triumph over Thailand in 2024 to Singapore’s proud legacy with four titles, the tournament has matured from a modest two-week affair into a month-long, region-wide celebration of sport.
The 2024 edition shattered records with 541.5 million broadcast viewers and 12.66 billion social media impressions. Not bad for a tournament that began life back in 1996.
Sunny Kim, President of Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific, summed it up rather aptly: “Football is more than a sport for Hyundai, it’s a platform that unites and empowers communities.” That’s the ethos behind initiatives like the Hyundai Kids Mobile Library — an electric bus transformed into a classroom on wheels. Because progress, for Hyundai, also happens off the field.
ASEAN United FC: One Team, Many Stories
Hyundai has also been named the Presenting Partner for three other key events: the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™, the ASEAN Women’s MSIG Cup™, and the ASEAN U-23 Championship™. Together, they form the ASEAN United FC.
As Seamus O’Brien, SPORTFIVE’s President for APAC, put it, “The rise of ASEAN’s national teams is on pace with the region’s increasing importance as one of the world’s most dynamic auto markets.”
Beyond the visibility and the media metrics, it’s a declaration of intent that Hyundai is participating meaningfully in the region’s evolving identity.
Mobility and progress are for everyone, and in Southeast Asia, that journey is just getting started.
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