The UEFA Champions League has featured the most iconic names in the sport. For 10 years, PepsiCo icons Gatorade, Lay’s and Pepsi have joined the league in making memorable connections with people around the world — and changing how fans interact with the tournament.
Football is the world’s most popular sport with more than 3.5 billion people watching. Our partnership brings our brands to passionate fans in new ways, adding more excitement to their experience, providing access to the next generation and creating positive change for the planet and people.
– Adam Warner, Vice President of Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships at PepsiCo
Now that we’re kicking off the men’s and women’s Finals for 2025, let’s take a look at some highlights from the last decade — on and off the field — that only PepsiCo could deliver.
Pepsi Kick Off Shows
The excitement on the field starts before the first kick with the biggest names in music getting fans amped for the game. The first Pepsi Kick Off Show in 2016, featuring Alicia Keys, set a new standard for entertainment at sports events. This performance combined music and football to create a spectacular pre-match experience that captivated millions of fans worldwide. The Pepsi Kick Off Shows have since featured performances by global superstars, and this year’s curtain raiser is Linkin Park, who will set the stage ahead of the men’s Finals in Munich.
Partnerships to level the playing field for women in sport
Since becoming the first partner for UEFA Women’s Euro 2019, PepsiCo has championed the next generation of football fandom. We’ve recently renewed our sponsorship of UEFA Women’s Football through 2030. Women’s football is becoming the fastest growing sport on the planet, and we’re committed to strengthening its future. We’ve helped capture that spirit with Pepsi’s “Refresh the Game” campaign, featuring a lineup of world class talent including Champions League legends, prolific scorers, Ballon d’Or Feminin and Women's Super League royalty.
Gatorade has inspired young women to achieve their athletic dreams by helping boost their confidence and breaking down barriers to success in sports. We’ve connected teenage girls with football legends as Confidence Coaches, including Rachel Yankey and Laia Aleixandri. Gatorade has also supported women’s teams like Wrexham, Manchester City and UEFA referees, providing tailored hydration and nutrition through the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
Unforgettable Lay’s ads
Through our global football platform, “No Lay’s, No Game” campaigns like “Chip Cam” and the “Lay’s Pub Crawl” serve up the perfect combo of football icons like David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Leo Messi and Alexia Putellas surprising the sport’s biggest fans in real life.
Gatorade’s 5v5 Global Tournaments
The annual five-a-side competition for boys and girls ages 14–16 provides young talent with a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and learn from football legends. Teams from North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe compete in a world-class tournament held each year in the city hosting the UEFA Champions League Final. By highlighting the joy of the game, Gatorade encourages young players to participate in the sport.
In Munich this year, Gatorade is making science and hydration fun with a sweat test led by a football legend. 5v5 players will also get the chance to interview Cesc Fàbregas, spotlighting sport’s role in life lessons. As part of Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow mission to bring sport to 2.5 million teens by 2030, the tournament celebrates passion over competition.
Culinary experiences that change the game
Inspired by local football culture, PepsiCo’s brands have created memorable culinary experiences for fans that showcase the creativity and versatility of our food and drink brands while also elevating the standard stadium concessions (think Doritos Loaded, our classic Doritos layered with Flamin’ Hot Chicken and Pulled Beef). This year we’re reimagining local flavors — Portuguese dishes like Pastel de Bacalhau and Pastel de Nata — layered with Lay’s potatoes. And in Munich we’ve got classic German favorites like currywurst and pickled vegetables on top of Lay’s.
Community pitches made from Lay’s packs
In 2020, PepsiCo launched the Lay’s RePlay initiative. A partnership with UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal, the initiative aims to create sustainable pitches, partially made of reused chip bags, in communities worldwide. The pitches not only bring people together to play, but each field offers programs uniquely tailored to address local social challenges, education and more. With our newest pitch in Lisbon, we now have 12 Lay’s RePlay fields across the world.
Working toward zero-waste Finals
In 2023, PepsiCo and UEFA introduced sustainable practices at the UEFA Champions League Finals, aiming to hold the first zero-waste-to-landfill event in 2026. The stadiums included fully recyclable, zero plastic and biodegradable fiber cups, returnable packaging for food and drinks and multiple recycling facilities.
Lay’s technology and marketing innovations
Throughout our 10-year partnership with UEFA, PepsiCo has continually leveraged cutting-edge technology and marketing innovations to create immersive experiences for fans. In the spirit of bringing extraordinary experience to football fans no matter where they’re tuning in from, Lay’s created a virtual interactive single-player runner game — the Lay’s Dash. By scanning a simple QR code, football fans were able to take on a digital quest for Lay’s, playing as one of their UEFA Champions League heroes with the chance to win a range of prizes.