UEFA and Meta strengthen collaboration to reinforce online brand protection

UEFA and Meta have successfully collaborated as part of UEFA’s online brand protection programme, reinforcing their shared commitment to tackling the unauthorised use of UEFA intellectual property across Meta’s platforms. Beyond brand protection, UEFA and Meta have maintained a longstanding collaboration on content protection matters, working together to identify and address the unauthorised distribution of UEFA audiovisual content.

As digital engagement around UEFA competitions continues to grow, so too does the volume of content that infringes UEFA’s intellectual property rights. Activity typically peaks during major tournaments and key competition stages, as was the case during the UEFA club competition finals in 2026, creating a need for quick and effective enforcement measures to protect UEFA, the competitions’ commercial partners and the millions of fans who engage with them around the world.

To address these challenges UEFA, in collaboration with UC3 – the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs responsible for the exploitation of the commercial rights to UEFA club competitions – worked closely with Meta to improve the identification and removal of infringing content around the UEFA club competition finals 2026, in particular the UEFA Champions League final. Meta has implemented a range of proactive measures and provides dedicated reporting tools designed to accelerate the review and takedown of content that infringes UEFA’s intellectual property rights.

The collaboration significantly reduced response times, enabling UEFA to take action more quickly against unauthorised uses of its trademarks and other protected content. Faster enforcement helps maintain the integrity of UEFA competitions and tournaments while ensuring that fans can engage with authentic content from official and trusted sources.

Meta’s cooperation forms part of UEFA’s broader online brand protection strategy which, for UEFA club competitions, is delivered in close collaboration with UC3. The programme combines monitoring, enforcement and collaboration with online service providers to address infringements and protect rights holders. Through increased communication and specialised tools, Meta helped streamline the reporting process and improve the effectiveness of enforcement actions across its platforms. This in turns helps to protect the value of the rights granted to the commercial partners for the relevant competitions.

By reducing the visibility and availability of infringing content, the programme helps create a safer and more trusted digital environment for rights holders, commercial partners and fans alike.

UEFA looks forward to continuing its cooperation with Meta and other digital platforms as part of its ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property rights and ensure that fans can enjoy authentic football experiences online.