--- title: Midea - TIME - Partner Content - From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance description: From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance canonical: https://time.com/branded-content/midea/from-the-pitch-to-the-home-how-midea-and-fc-barcelona-are-redefining-performance/ article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-09-07T22:05:27.067Z article:modified_time: 2026-09-07T22:05:20.808Z article:section: Paid Partner Content og:title: Midea - TIME - Partner Content - From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance og:description: From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance og:url: https://time.com/branded-content/midea/from-the-pitch-to-the-home-how-midea-and-fc-barcelona-are-redefining-performance/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb8b773510a5a89a0/6a9e4cd35456e4523e3c2fc8/3c24e4c50ad57b8bdbbe437cf4f17892.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6808 og:image:height: 3830 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Midea - TIME - Partner Content - From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance twitter:description: From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb8b773510a5a89a0/6a9e4cd35456e4523e3c2fc8/3c24e4c50ad57b8bdbbe437cf4f17892.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # From the Pitch to the Home: How Midea and FC Barcelona Are Redefining Performance > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=7c3c9807-16da-4b7c-9b2a-13a2e187dbd1&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=7c3c9807-16da-4b7c-9b2a-13a2e187dbd1&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1)  Carles Puyol and Lewis Fu together on stage at IFA 2026. Carles Puyol and Lewis Fu together on stage at IFA 2026. Carles Puyol and Lewis Fu together on stage at IFA 2026. _At IFA 2026, FC Barcelona legend Carles Puyol brings the shared standards behind the two brands’ five-year partnership into daily life._ Great performance is built on a multitude of decisions involving anticipating what is needed, responding at precisely the right time, and making the difficult look effortless and instinctive. Inside a modern home, the principle is surprisingly similar: the technology may be complex, but the experience should feel natural. At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Puyol brought that philosophy from the pitch to the home. The former captain reflected on the standards that defined his 15 seasons with the club, then moved on to explore Midea’s SMART MASTER area and the dedicated FC Barcelona partnership zone.  _Puyol during conversation session_ Puyol’s presence marked a major European consumer-facing moment for Midea and FC Barcelona’s five-year partnership, announced in September 2025\. At IFA, the collaboration became personal. ### **The Standards Behind a Champion** Puyol captained FC Barcelona through one of the most successful eras in the club’s history. Beyond the trophies, his career was defined by an ability to read the game, respond decisively, and maintain consistent standards of performance. After FC Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium, Puyol handed his captain's armband to Éric Abidal and invited him to lift the trophy, a gesture underscoring that the club’s success was a team effort. “Throughout my career, I learned that great performance comes from understanding what is needed, making the right decision at the right moment, and never lowering your standards,” Puyol said. “Today at IFA, it was exciting to see how Midea applies that same focus to the home, using technology to better understand people’s needs and make everyday life feel simpler.” ### **From the Pitch to the Home** That thinking is at the heart of Midea’s SMART MASTER vision, built around “A Home That Understands” theme—a home capable of interpreting what people want and responding intuitively. At the SMART MASTER zone, Puyol saw “A Home That Understands” brought to life through Midea’s AI Agents. He explored how Comfort Agent coordinates appliances to create a comfortable home environment, while Health Agent recommends meals based on ingredients in the refrigerator and works with kitchen appliances to support cooking. Before he left, a service robot brought him popcorn—a playful glimpse of AI moving from digital intelligence into the physical world. “The future of technology is not about adding more complexity to people’s lives,” said Lewis Fu, president of Midea International, “it is about building intelligence into the system so people can enjoy a simpler, more effortless experience. Like a great team on the pitch, a truly intelligent home should understand, coordinate, and respond naturally to people’s needs.”  _Puyol experiencing the SMART MASTER area_  _Carles Puyol receives popcorn from a Midea robot_ ### **Technology Designed Around Real Life**  _Midea as main partner of FC Barcelona：celebrating joint achievements and futuristic vision at IFA 2026._ Midea applies the same principle to local challenges. The portable AC unit PortaSplit, for instance, offers an alternative for European households where conventional split air conditioning may be difficult to install because of rental restrictions, building regulations, or the limitations of older properties. Rather than asking people to change their homes, PortaSplit adapts the technology to the homes they already have. It is a practical example of global capability shaped by local insight. Through a worldwide network of manufacturing facilities and innovation centers, Midea Group serves consumers in more than 200 countries and regions. That global scale matters when it translates into solutions relevant to individual lives. ### **A Shared Vision of Performance** FC Barcelona represents one of the highest standards of performance in sport, built on teamwork, discipline, and continual improvement. Midea sees a parallel opportunity in the home. As technology becomes increasingly connected, the next step is not simply making individual appliances smarter, but to create an experience in which everything works together intuitively. For Puyol, world-class performance meant reading the game, anticipating events, and making difficult decisions look simple. For Midea, it means making advanced intelligence feel effortless at home. The best technology helps people achieve more, while making everything feel simpler. That is Simply ideal. [](https://www.midea.com/global) ## Midea | Simply Ideal By combining innovation with sustainability, Midea promotes "Live Green, Live Smart" with energy-efficient appliances, smart home technology, eco-friendly materials, and sustainable manufacturing. 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