Alipay has revealed a new trophy for the top scorers at the upcoming UEFA Nations League Finals in Portugal.
The design of the trophy (shown above) draws inspiration from the first character in the payment and lifestyle platform’s Chinese name, ÊîØ (pronounced “zhi”), which means “support” as well as “payment.” When written in what Alipay calls “small seal” script, the character also resembles the posture of a striker poised to shoot.
“The trophy’s unique and dynamic design is a fitting complement to the exciting atmosphere and football that we expect for the culmination of the inaugural Nations League Finals 2019,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s director of marketing.
WATCH:How the Alipay Top Scorer Trophy melds technology, Chinese calligraphy and football.
This is the inaugural UEFA Nations League Finals. The tournament, starting June 5, this time includes Portugal, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Gold, silver and bronze trophies will be awarded to the tournament’s top three scorers on the last day of play, June 9, in the city of Porto.
Last November, Alipay signed an eight-year global partnership with UEFA, becoming the league’s Official Global Payment Partner, Official Global Digital Wallet and Official Global FinTech Partner for men’s national team events, including UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA EURO 2024, the European Qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League Finals.
Alipay is operated by Ant Financial Services Group, an affiliate company of Alibaba Group.
