Changan Automobile Announces Global Strategic Partnership with the Portugal National Football Team
26.5.2026 08:54:36 CEST | news aktuell GmbH | Press release
- "Stay in the Game" – A Shared Commitment to Excellence, Innovation, and Endurance.
Lisbon, 22 May 2026 – Changan Automobile today announced a global strategic partnership with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), becoming the Official Global Partner of the Portugal National Football Team. The announcement ceremony took place at Cidade do Futebol, the heart of Portuguese football, marking a significant milestone in Changan’s long term commitment to the European market.
The event featured senior representatives from Changan and the FPF, alongside renowned Portuguese football legends. Highlights included the unveiling of the brand collaboration film “Sounds Like Changan”, the ceremonial handover of the DEEPAL S05 Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) to FPF leadership, and the official launch of a 1,000km European test drive program.
This collaboration goes beyond traditional sponsorship. It reflects a deep alignment of values – resilience, excellence, and long-termism. Both Changan Automobile and the FPF embody the philosophy of “Stay in the Game:” maintaining focus, consistency, and determination through every challenge.
“In football, staying ‘in the game’ means total commitment – to every tackle, every second of concentration, and every precise pass”, said Mi Mengdong, Vice President of Changan Automobile “For Changan, it means continuous investment, relentless innovation, and standing firmly with our users. The Portuguese team has spent a century defining resilience. Changan has spent 45 years proving the power of long-termism. This is not sponsorship – it is true resonance.”
The ceremony included a symbolic kick-off performed by Changan executives and legendary Portuguese football players, officially launching the partnership.
Following the ceremony, participants jointly waved the departure flag, marking the start of Changan’s long-distance European test drive initiative. The route will span from Lisbon to Madrid to Turin, showcasing Changan’s PHEV capabilities through real-world testing across diverse road and climate conditions, including verification of the 1000 km+ range.
Known as “The Team of the Quinas” (the crest of the Team features the five blue shields (quinas) from the Portuguese coat of arms), the Portugal National Football Team is one of the most recognized teams in global football, with a fanbase exceeding 500 million supporters worldwide.
“This partnership with Changan Automobile reflects the growing international relevance of Portuguese football and the values that define our Federation: ambition, innovation, resilience, and excellence. We are proud to join forces with a global brand that shares our long-term vision and commitment to continuous development, both on and off the pitch.” FPF Commercial says.
As Changan Automobile accelerates its global expansion under the Vast Ocean Plan, Europe stands as a strategic priority. The collaboration with the FPF will support localized product planning and brand engagement across the region.
The focus centers on Changan’s advanced New Energy Vehicle (NEV) lineup—including the CHANGAN NEVO Q05, CHANGAN DEEPAL models (S05/S07), and the premium intelligent AVATR vehicles (the Luxury SUV AVATR 11 and Futuristic Luxury Gran Coupe AVATR 12)—seamlessly bringing cutting-edge automotive innovation to Europe’s passionate football community.
About the Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) is the governing body of football in Portugal, responsible for organizing and developing the sport at all levels, including national teams and domestic competitions.
About Changan
Changan, one of China's largest automotive groups, has 45 years of experience in automobile manufacturing and is headquartered in Chongqing. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, Ltd (Shenzhen Stock Exchange: SZSE 000625) operates 14 manufacturing bases and 40 plants worldwide, 79 branches and subsidiaries, sales and service networks in 118 countries and regions, and more than 14,000 global sales outlets. It employs over 80,000 people directly and supports more than one million jobs across its entire value chain. Changan’s portfolio includes its own brands, such as Changan and Avatr, alongside joint ventures like Changan Ford and Changan Mazda. Since 2001, Changan has strengthened its European presence with a design centre in Turin and a research and development centre in Birmingham. Changan surpassed 30 million units in cumulative production and sales in December 2025. With the launch of its vehicles in Europe, Changan marked a new chapter in its international expansion in 2025.
https://www.changaneurope.com/uk
Press contact:
Melanie King
Head of PR, Changan UK
Press contact PR agency:
Woosah
Phil Borge-Slavnich / Susie Dullard
Changan press kit:
Images
About news aktuell GmbH
news aktuell, a subsidiary of the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), provides companies, institutions and associations with effective access to both the media and consumers and supports the organizations in telling their stories easily and successfully. Utilizing the digital tools “ots” and “zimpel” PR content reaches all media formats, including classic print titles, wide-reach online portals or social networks. In addition, news aktuell publishes all of its clients' PR content on www.presseportal.de, one of Germany's widest-reaching PR portals. Thus, all relevant multipliers are reached worldwide, ranging from editors and digital influencers to specialist bloggers and interested consumers. Communications specialists from all over Germany rely on the expertise of the dpa subsidiary. news aktuell has been on the market since 1989 and employs over 135 people. The company is based in Hamburg. Further locations include Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.
Subscribe to releases from news aktuell GmbH
Subscribe to all the latest releases from news aktuell GmbH by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from news aktuell GmbH
93% of Europe's Internet Traffic Flows Through Routers – Yet No One Is Paying Attention: Study Demands Action on Digital Sovereignty24.6.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Berlin, 24 June 2026 – The Sovereignty Alliance for European Network Technology (SAFENet), together with the Innovate Europe Foundation (IE.F) and Berlin-based consultancy iconomy, publishes a new foundational study revealing that 93% of European internet traffic flows through routers and yet the EU has no sovereignty framework for this key component of the digital ecosystem. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers already control 37% of the market.
Mein Schiff Flow officially named: three godmothers, one ship and a shared flow22.6.2026 13:33:00 CEST | Press release
Hamburg/Trieste, 21 Jun 2026. The big moment had arrived: to the applause of thousands of guests on board, the champagne bottle was smashed against the bow of Mein Schiff Flow. Accompanied by a spectacular show and an elaborately staged ceremony, the second ship in the InTUItion class was officially welcomed into the Mein Schiff fleet. The naming ceremony marked a first in several respects: for the first time in the history of TUI Cruises, three women – Julia, Annabelle and Karin – jointly acted as godmothers to the new ship. Together, they represent the diversity of the guests and the many personal stories that connect people with the Mein Schiff fleet. For their grand entrance, the three godmothers wore couture dresses selected by designer Guido Maria Kretschmer. A naming ceremony day to celebrate the motto “Go with the Flow” From the afternoon onwards, Mein Schiff Flow was entirely in keeping with the motto of its naming ceremony, “Go with the Flow”. The ship was transformed into an
A decade after the Brexit referendum: Time for European pragmatism22.6.2026 09:03:53 CEST | Press release
On June 23, 2016, British voters chose to leave the European Union, sending shockwaves across the continent. To mark the anniversary, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is publishing exclusive data tracking public opinion in the UK and the EU over the past ten years. The findings suggest that Brexit has neither triggered further EU fragmentation nor driven British and European public opinion permanently apart. Instead, they point to a shared preference for pragmatic cooperation.
FarmDroid Field Robot Featured in award-winning “Clarkson’s Farm”: Autonomous Seeding and Weeding Robot in the Spotlight on Prime Video Series12.6.2026 09:02:28 CEST | Press release
(Odense, Denmark, June 11, 2026) The hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm features the autonomous field robot FarmDroid FD20 in its latest episode, airing today. Operating on Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm, the solar-powered robot demonstrates how automation, precision seeding, and mechanical weeding can help farmers improve efficiency while supporting more sustainable crop production. Clarkson first discovered FarmDroid at LAMMA 2025 while looking for ways to reduce manual labour on the farm. He was impressed by the robot’s ability to carry out both seeding and weed control with exceptional precision. The FarmDroid FD20 autonomously performs seeding and mechanical weeding with GPS accuracy of up to eight millimetres. By recording the exact position of every seed, it can remove weeds between and within crop rows, reducing chemical use, protecting soil health, and lowering labour requirements. “Having our robot featured in an internationally successful series like Clarkson’s Farm
HEIDELBERG forges ahead with transformation – foundations laid for medium-term growth10.6.2026 08:57:51 CEST | Press release
Dual-use technology approach on target – establishing new areas of business based on core expertise boosts strategic diversification Strong partnerships – new Memorandum of Understanding to be announced at ILA between ONBERG and Ukrainian company Core business stable – global positioning ensures robust development and underlines market leadership Focus on efficiency – cost base streamlined and competitiveness strengthened Financial year 2025/2026 – EBITDA margin down on previous year, while sales and net result after taxes improve Outlook for financial year 2026/2027 – challenging geopolitical environment, systematic expansion of HEIDELBERG Technology growth segment
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom