Betting companies lead in main sponsorships for the 2026/27 Champions League.

Sports betting companies lead the ranking of main sponsors of the 36 clubs competing in the league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League, a competition that begins this Tuesday (September 8). Seven teams will take to the field with betting brands displayed on the front of their uniforms.

The survey is from Poder360. The clubs with betting companies as their main sponsors are AEK Athens, Club Brugge, Inter Milan, Porto, Roma, Slovan Bratislava, and Sporting CP.

The financial sector comes in second place, with six clubs: Bodø/Glimt, Como FC, Liverpool, Sabah, Slavia Praha, and Stuttgart. Airlines sponsor five teams: Arsenal, Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid. Emirates is the only airline present in two clubs simultaneously, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

Among betting companies, Betsson and Betano stand out for appearing on two uniforms each. Betsson sponsors Club Brugge and Inter Milan; Betano's logo is on the shirts of Porto and Sporting CP.

Italian exception and UEFA rule

Betsson's presence on Inter Milan's jersey occurs even under Italian legislation that restricts advertising for gambling and betting. The agreement, valid until the 2027/28 season, was announced by the club in 2024 and uses the Betsson Sport brand in the main sponsor space on the uniform.

UEFA does not generally prohibit betting companies from occupying the main shirt sponsorship space in the Champions League. Rules regarding betting advertising vary according to each country's legislation.

Besides betting, finance, and aviation, the other main sponsors of the competition belong to sectors such as technology, telecommunications, retail, food, automobiles, transportation, beverages, home appliances, construction, and energy.

Voluntary veto in the Premier League

The Champions League landscape contrasts sharply with the model adopted in England. In April 2023, Premier League clubs voluntarily decided to remove betting companies from the main sponsorship space on their kits starting in the 2026/27 season. The stated objective was to reduce the exposure of children and vulnerable individuals to advertising in this sector.

The restriction applies only to the front of shirts worn in matches. Betting companies are still allowed to appear on uniform sleeves, training clothes, advertising boards, and the digital channels of English clubs.

In the 2025/26 season, 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs had betting companies as their main sponsors. With the change in effect in 2026/27, the financial sector took the lead in the list of sponsors for the English league, with five clubs.