David Beckham cooperates with the Chinese technology giant Alibaba

David Beckham has officially become a brand ambassador for Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The news comes after online retailer AliExpress became a sponsor of the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in March.

The 49-year-old footballer-turned-entrepreneur will be the face of the AliExpress Euro campaign, with an ad featuring the former midfielder running in conjunction with the sports tournament.

In previous years, David Beckham was on the pitch for England, which happened 115 times in his career. He made his debut in the sport at the age of just 17, playing for Manchester United. He later joined Real Madrid and went on to play for LA Galaxy and AC Milan before retiring in May 2013.

He is currently co-owner of Inter Miami FC and Salford City FC based in Greater Manchester. He also saw a renewed rise in popularity last year when his documentary “Beckham” appeared on Netflix.

The partnership was finalized on Monday (May 27), and while full details are not publicly known, it can be assumed that Beckham will pay a hefty fee.

The UEFA Euro 2024 tournament starts on June 14 and will last until July 14, with 24 teams fighting for the title of champion.

During this time, the market brand will run promotions offering limited-time rewards for each goal scored.

In an Alibaba Group press release, AliExpress’s European commercial director, Gary Tropp, said: “Whether you’re a football fan or not, I don’t know of anyone better to show how easy it is to win with AliExpress. during UEFA 2024.”

The former footballer was quoted in the press release as saying: “AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA Euro 2024 this summer by offering them great rewards while the action is on the pitch.”

However, Beckham is not the only person the company has set its sights on, as German striker Oliver Bierhoff will also be part of the campaign.

Competition in China is intensifying

With a huge focus on growing revenue and brand awareness over the next few months, the move comes as AliExpress looks to compete with the growing presence of Temu and online fashion startup Shein.

Both of AliExpress’s rivals enjoyed huge success in international markets last year, and all three are vying for the top spot.

Although Alibaba recently reported strong earnings, with its international division seeing revenues grow 45% year-over-year in its most recent January-to-March quarter, its response to the global market has been slower compared to Shein and Temu.

Ago has focused on running ads during the last two Super Bowls, and Shein has partnered with influencers whose target audience is Gen Z.

As Alibaba becomes more aggressive in the global market, competition between all three companies is likely to intensify and go further, as competition between China-based platforms was already fierce.

Featured image: via Wikimedia Commons