The official global sponsor of the 2008 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship is a South Korean car brand, Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai. South Korea's largest car maker provided official vehicles to be used during the tournament in Switzerland and Austria last month. The fleet of 530 Hyundai and Kia cars and vans, and a fleet of buses, are part of a campaign called "Drive to Glory". But they're not for the players, who mostly prefer glorious drives.

The Swedish super star Zlatan Ibrahimovic owns a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and a Ferrari F430 Spyder. He recently sold a Ferrari Enzo. Ibrahimovic also drives the new Volvo C30 T5 as a company car-cum-family car provided by his employer, Football Club Internazionale Milano (FC Milan).

Cristiano Ronaldo likes German technology and his two-door Audi R8 roadster. He used to own a black four-wheel-drive Porsche Cayenne Turbo but decided to sell it in April this year. It was snapped up after two days.

Thierry Henry, the tall French striker, is endorsed by the petite Renault Clio, but he prefers the fastest Benz on public roads: the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren. He also has a "007" Aston Martin Vanquish in the garage.

The captain of team Deutschland, Michael Ballack or "B'llack", used to have a white Ferrari nicknamed "the Ambulance" after his long injury spell. Ballack was the also the owner of the über-quick 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo, which he sold earlier this year.

The Spaniard Fernando Torres also likes German engineering: a supersized SUV. He has an Audi Q7, and he has also been seen driving a low and bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo.

The young Russian star striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov used to rent a diesel saloon in Spain, and now he has upgraded to a BMW 320d, also a diesel. And he likes a normal, plain mobile phone.

"Flying Dutchman" Ruud van Nistelrooy, playing for Real Madrid and his national orange Holland team, chooses to pilot a Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the big Stuttgart SUV.

Petr Cech, probably the best goalkeeper in the world, drives the low-key Japanese SUV Lexus RX, the second cheapest vehicle of them all.

Tennis and golf players receive cars as trophies. For football players, they get trophies and buy cars as souvenirs.
-- J.L.