FIFA confirmed on Thursday, 28 June 2007, that
Visa International has become the sixth FIFA partner with worldwide
rights to FIFA's competitions from 2007 to 2014. This follows last
week's announcement that MasterCard and FIFA had agreed to
discontinue its sponsorship.
This sponsorship in the financial services category reportedly represents
the payment company's most significant foray onto the international stage of
football and as such is an endorsement of the sport's appeal to both fans
and commercial entities.
FIFA Partners
FIFA World Cup™ Sponsors
National
Supporters
Visa joins adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates Airline, Hyundai and Sony in the top
tier of the world football governing body's new sponsorship structure that
entitles six corporations to the highest level of commercial affiliation
with FIFA over an eight-year period. Visa will enjoy core sponsorship rights
to all FIFA competitions, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and
the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as to FIFA's special events and development
initiatives.
“I am pleased to have all six FIFA Partners on board so that we can now
focus our attention and energy towards ensuring the staging of world-class
football competitions as well as using the power of the sport to tackle some
major social issues,” said FIFA president Joseph S Blatter.
“Visa has the requisite breadth and social commitment to support us in our
endeavours and we look forward to a rewarding partnership.”
John Elkins, executive vice president at Visa International, commented:
“With Visa's broad experience and successful sponsorship of major properties
such as the Olympic Games and Rugby World Cup, we know first-hand how
valuable a global sporting property can be in driving business. South Africa
is a key location for Visa and there is great potential for us to work
together with FIFA to leave behind a positive legacy following the 2010
event.”
According to FIFA, the FIFA World Cup, as the most-watched sports event on
Earth, represents a rare global marketing platform that enables companies to
reach consumers by tapping into the huge popularity of football. The 2006
FIFA World Cup Germany, for example, marked a new milestone with the most
extensive TV coverage to date – broadcasts in 214 countries and territories
generated over 73 000 hours of programming (up 76% on 2002).
