Ex-footballer signs Euros deal with China tech giant

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David Beckham has signed a contract to become a global ambassador for AliExpress, the online retail platform owned by Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

The announcement comes ahead of the Euros football tournament, which is set to begin in Germany next month.

The company has not disclosed the amount it is paying the former England captain.

In March, AliExpress secured an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with UEFA, European football’s governing body.

As part of the deal, the football star turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress’ Score More promotion, which will run during the tournament.

“AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said.

AliExpress joins other major Chinese companies sponsoring the Euros, including electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and electronics giant Vivo.

Since retiring from football over a decade ago, Beckham has been associated with numerous brands and major sporting events.

The Sunday Times Rich List estimates that Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl and fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455 million ($581.6 million).

After the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the Euros is expected to be the biggest sporting event of the year.

A total of 2.7 million tickets have been made available for the competition, which will run from June 14 to July 14 across 10 cities, including Munich and Hamburg.

According to UEFA, the 2020 Euros had a global live television audience of 5.2 billion. The final, in which England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people.