On July 6 in Spain — as the Spain vs. Portugal Round of 16 match at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicked off — the “Raise a Glass to Spain, Cheer for the World Cup: Wuliangye Barcelona Brand Night” officially commenced at a century-old landmark on the shores of the Mediterranean: Hotel El Palace Barcelona.

In the Mediterranean, the burgundy fabric window treatments — a tasteful decoration integral to Hotel El Palace Barcelona's iconic aesthetic — fluttered in the night breeze against an off-white neoclassical facade, casting a warm luster under the lighting. In a hall once graced by Picasso and Dalí, Chinese Baijiu was re-envisioned through the lens of football.

The two cities, separated by mountains and seas, have come together again: the “City of Chinese Baijiu” at the source of the Yangtze River, and the “City of Football” on the Iberian Peninsula. This reunion is more of a “symphony” than an ordinary brand campaign. Rather than a typical one-way presentation, this reunion, with football as its score and fine liquor as its strings, renders a “harmonious” dialogue between Chinese Baijiu and the world.

Barcelona Night

Resonant Moments for Brand Narratives

At the night-time event, distinct from any other product presentation or liquor tasting dinner, Wuliangye set out to convey one concept above all else: integration. This was not a solo performance, but a harmonious duet.

This event was organized at Hotel El Palace Barcelona, a century-old landmark that opened in 1919 and became Barcelona's first-ever five-star hotel. It is the hotel that once hosted Picasso, Dalí, and Miró. The century-spanning architecture's craftsmanship and aesthetic appeal together with Wuliangye's millennia-old multi-grain brewing techniques struck a cultural chord that transcends time and space, which was far more than a coincidence. As one event organizer remarked: “Both architecture and liquor are products of time and craftsmanship, and both prove to be a universal carrier of cultural exchange that needs no translation.”

The event's product display also reflected particularity. The main exhibition area featured a collective appearance of Wuliangye's core products: the 8th Generation Wuliangye, Wuliangye Classic series, Wuliangye Oriental Purple Aura, and Wuliangye Crush on: a new low-alcohol arrival targeted at the younger generation. The full collection of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Official Branded Licensed products stole the show: the 8th Generation Wuliangye FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Branded Licensed Edition, the Wuliangye FIFA World Cup Trophy, the Wuliangye FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Licensed Limited Edition Product, the Huobao Craft Mini Chinese Baijiu, and the Mini Fruit Wine. Among the exhibits, the “hidden Baijiu edition” specially crafted for Spain — the Wuliangye FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Branded Licensed Edition — made a stunning debut. By pairing these products with a diverse range of Yibin specialties on-site, including local black tea and bamboo cultural and creative products, the folkways of southern Sichuan are harmoniously blended with the cultural charm of the Mediterranean.

This event also included a looped instructional video on the “Five-Step Liquor Tasting Method” with bilingual subtitles, while local professional bartenders provided live demonstrations, guiding guests through an immersive experience of the unique tasting culture of Chinese Baijiu.

“A Spanish proverb holds that harmony is wealth, which perfectly aligns with Wuliangye's own cultural philosophy of harmony,” noted an on-site regional executive from Wuliangye Group Import and Export Co., Ltd. As a forerunner advancing the internationalization of Chinese Baijiu, Wuliangye boasts a 110-year-long history of global expansion. For Wuliangye, Barcelona holds exceptional significance as the strategic location to gain a solid foothold in the European market. Last October, Barcelona also bore witness to the European debut of Wuliangye Crush on, a new trendy low-alcohol product.

Through this renewed gathering, Wuliangye turned the World Cup into a global stage. This brand brought its “Harmony culture” to life through interactions by tapping into football as a shared emotional medium, the “folkway” concept that resonates across the liquor world, and the saying “Friends are similar to wine; the older, the better.” This proverb resonates culturally with the Chinese saying: “When drinking with a true friend, a thousand cups are never enough.” As a result, the thousand-year-old aroma of Wuliangye continues to captivate European consumers.

From Supermarkets to Bartending Schools

The Spanish Model of “One Country, One Strategy”

Beyond the lively atmosphere of the Brand Night event, another highlight ran through the entire occasion with a more practical focus: Wuliangye's long-established presence in Spain has now entered a phase of refined operations.

It was reported that since 2023, Wuliangye has established a comprehensive distribution network covering key cities: Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, as well as the islands. As an industry insider noted, in terms of sales volume, Spain was not currently Wuliangye's largest overseas market; however, as the champion of the FIFA World Cup 2010 and a co-host of the FIFA World Cup 2030, Spain boasts a deep-rooted football culture, which makes it a natural core venue for World Cup marketing.

Meanwhile, the localized operations experience gained in Spain — one of Europe's key spirits consumption markets — holds the potential to be replicated in other European countries. These Spanish localized operations will deliver a replicable solution for Wuliangye to expand into other international markets. This replicable model will be realized through the establishment of a closed-loop system covering market research, distribution channels, product development, and distributor empowerment, as well as through the successful implementation of the “One Country, One Strategy” localized operation model.

The World Cup and Internationalization

Synergy of Wuliangye's Inaugural Year of Sports Marketing

2026 marks the year of the World Cup and also the inaugural year of Wuliangye's sports marketing. Amid the profound shifts in consumer demographics, consumption scenarios, and consumer demands, sports marketing is emerging as a new strategy for Wuliangye to amplify its global footprint and strengthen its supply chain.

In August 2025, Wuliangye officially announced its designation as the “FIFA World Cup 2026™ Official Branded Licensed Product,” securing a premier global sports IP ahead of the tournament. As the only Chinese Baijiu brand in partnership with FIFA for this event, Wuliangye now holds a dual distinction — both a FIFA World Cup 2026™ Official Branded Licensed Product and a Golden Partner for CCTV broadcasts — integrating itself into the tournament through product-based commercial partnerships.

From securing the licensing rights through the kick-off of the World Cup, Wuliangye's sports marketing strategy has revealed a clear trajectory: the Wuliangye FIFA World Cup 2026™ Official Branded Licensed Product series was officially launched during the group draw, the “Champion Team Mystery Edition” hit the market at the end of 2025, an interactive campaign was launched in April in partnership with CCTV broadcasts, and the release and auction of the “Wuliangye FIFA World Cup Trophy” set new sales records for alcoholic beverages. As of now, Wuliangye has launched 20-plus World Cup-themed products, comprehensively covering scenarios from high-end gifting to casual drinks with friends.

What lies behind these moves is Wuliangye's understanding of the essence of sports marketing: the World Cup is not just a tournament, but a global emotional storm of social interaction, so the brand aims to transform itself into the “social currency” of this emotional consumption.

The strategy's effectiveness is verified by the numbers: through its World Cup marketing campaign, Wuliangye has attracted over 4 million highly targeted users across digital platforms — both Baijiu enthusiasts and football fans. The “Guess the Champion, Win 10 Million” interaction generated more than 100,000 engagements, while Wuliangye ranked 8th among all participating brands in the “2026 World Cup Early-Stage Brand Digital Asset Index.” This data underscore its brand influence that has transcended the Baijiu world and entered the competitive arena of multiple industries.

From a long-term perspective, Wuliangye's internationalization has followed a clearly defined trajectory. In 2017, this company established 3 major overseas marketing centers in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Americas, laying a foundation for its global marketing network; in 2025, it opened Wuliangye Dining Singapore, secured Michelin stars, and explored localized operational models; and in 2026, it seized the opportunity presented by the World Cup to fully implement its “One Country, One Strategy” overseas operational approach. Behind each step lies the same challenge: How can Baijiu — a spirit deeply rooted in eastern culture — make a leap from merely “being seen” to “being accepted” in overseas markets?

Traveling from the source of the Yangtze River to the shores of the Mediterranean, as we set our sights upon this Brand Night — an event unfolding beneath the century-old dome of Hotel El Palace Barcelona, we came to realize that it was not only a “cultural symphony” but also the beginning of the brand's in-depth engagement in Europe.

Marketing analysts point out that, taking this World Cup as a case study, a qualitative shift revealed itself in Chinese brands' approach to international marketing — from “one-time sponsorship” to “systematic in-depth engagement,” from “logo exposure” to “content co-creation,” and from “riding the momentum” to “creating momentum.” Wuliangye's World Cup marketing efforts have set a benchmark for the Baijiu industry, transforming the event's traffic into long-term assets through systematic operations.

Wuliangye's path to internationalization is shifting its focus from “going global” to “integrating in,” charting a possible course for the global expansion of Chinese consumer goods: respecting differences, finding common ground, and using a universal “language” to enable the true understanding of the eastern concept of “Harmony.”