inglong Tire has brought its Real Madrid sponsorship closer to its industrial operations, hosting club ambassador Roberto Carlos at its headquarters, manufacturing facilities and test centre in Shandong, China. The August visit comes as Linglong enters another season as a Global Partner of Real Madrid, shifting the focus from sponsorship rights towards how the tyre manufacturer activates the relationship.
Former Real Madrid and Brazil defender Roberto Carlos visited Linglong Tire's operations in China from 14 to 16 August, meeting company executives, customers and partners as part of the tyre manufacturer's continuing relationship with the Spanish football club.
Carlos, visiting in his capacity as an official Real Madrid ambassador, toured Linglong's headquarters and its main manufacturing plant in Zhaoyuan. His programme also included the company's research and development centre and Sino-Asia test track, giving the visit a product and manufacturing dimension beyond the more conventional stadium and media exposure associated with football sponsorship.
Linglong said Carlos was shown its smart production operations and tyre development capabilities during the visit. He also met Linglong Tire chairman Wang Feng and CEO and president Lingkun "Andy" Zhou for a panel discussion.
"All this is more impressive and professional than I had imagined," Carlos said during the visit, according to Linglong.
The visit provides a practical example of how Linglong is seeking to extract more from a high-profile sports partnership than advertising visibility alone. Bringing a recognised Real Madrid figure into manufacturing and R&D facilities gives the company material that can be used with customers, distributors and consumers while connecting its international brand-building activity with the tyre business itself.
That distinction matters because Linglong's involvement with Real Madrid is not new. The manufacturer became a global partner of the club in 2024 and confirmed in July that the relationship would continue during the 2026/27 season.
As Tyre News Media reported when Linglong extended its Real Madrid partnership, the agreement gives the tyre maker continued access to matchday, digital and club-media assets. Those include branding on digital advertising boards during Real Madrid home matches in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, alongside hospitality and wider media rights.
The latest activity therefore represents activation of an established commercial agreement rather than a new sponsorship deal.
Linglong has increasingly used international sport as part of its brand-building programme. The company identifies sponsorship as one element of its internationalisation strategy and says it has participated in more than 100 sports sponsorships globally, including relationships with Real Madrid, Chelsea and the Chicago Bulls.
The commercial rationale for tyre manufacturers is clear even if the return from individual sponsorships is difficult to assess externally. Football provides access to large international audiences across markets where tyre brands are competing for recognition, while ambassador and customer activities can extend that exposure into trade relationships.
For Linglong, the Zhaoyuan visit also allowed manufacturing and technical capabilities to become part of the sponsorship narrative. Carlos visited the company's research facilities and test track and viewed a 63-inch OTR tyre displayed at Linglong's headquarters, broadening the activity beyond the passenger-car products most consumers would associate with a football-linked campaign.
The challenge for any major sports sponsorship is converting visibility into measurable commercial value. Stadium branding can create recognition, but activations involving distributors, customers, products and company facilities provide additional opportunities to connect that recognition with the business behind the brand.
Linglong's decision to bring a Real Madrid ambassador to its Chinese operations indicates how it intends to use the partnership during its next season: not simply as advertising inventory, but as a platform around which customer engagement and international brand communications can be built.
Tags: Linglong Tire, Roberto Carlos, Real Madrid, tyre sponsorship, sports marketing, Zhaoyuan, tyre manufacturing, tyre R&D, China tyre industry, Linglong Real Madrid
Editorial Standards & Disclaimer
Tyre News Media is an independent industry publication. Our reporting is based on information available at the time of publication, including company announcements, regulatory filings, official data, research and other sources considered reliable.
Articles may include independent analysis and editorial interpretation. Where appropriate, company statements and third-party claims are attributed to their source. Analysis, estimates and forward-looking observations should not be read as statements of established fact.
Tyre News Media takes reasonable steps to ensure accuracy but welcomes corrections, clarifications and responses from organisations or individuals covered in our reporting. If you believe information is inaccurate or requires clarification, please contact info@tyrenews.co.uk. Material errors will be corrected as appropriate.
Commercial relationships, advertising and sponsorship do not determine Tyre News Media's editorial coverage or conclusions.
_0%20(1).png)
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).png)
