Visa confirmed as Official FIFA Partner

Visa International and FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) confirmed on Thursday that Visa has become a FIFA Partner with global rights to a broad range of FIFA activities, including the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the FIFA Women’s World Cups.

Based on a settlement agreement between the parties, the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, dismissed MasterCard Worldwide’s suit against FIFA on June 21. This paved the way for the Visa-FIFA contract to be implemented. Through this new relationship, Visa has access to FIFA competitions, special events and development programs worldwide, and becomes the sixth and final top tier FIFA Partner.

Visa’s rights in FIFA’s Payment Services product category begin with this year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Canada and will run through the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Visa will have rights to a broad range of activities including exclusive marketing assets, competitions, special events and development programs. Visa and FIFA will work together globally to create exclusive Visa programs at a host of FIFA events.

“We look forward to activating our FIFA partnership. With Visa’s broad experience and successful  sponsorship of major properties such as the Olympic Games and Rugby World Cup, we know firsthand how valuable a global sporting property can be in driving business.” said John Elkins, executive vice president at Visa International. “With this partnership, Visa will work with our network of over 20,000 Visa financial institutions to deliver incremental value to our cardholders and merchants.”

“I am pleased to have all our six FIFA Partners on board and that we can now focus our attention and energy towards ensuring the staging of world-class football competitions as well as to using the power of the sport to tackle some major social issues,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

Visa’s first FIFA World Cup as a FIFA Partner will be the 2010 tournament in South Africa and Visa will develop a suite of programs to continue expanding merchant acceptance, building member bank relationships, and growing tourism in that country.

“We’re tremendously excited about working with our partners in South Africa in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” said Elkins. “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.”

Over the eight-year period of its FIFA Partnership, Visa will be able to engage in the marketing of FIFA events and competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the FIFA Interactive World Cup, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Visa will also be working with FIFA to explore the possibility of fostering and promoting visually impaired football, drawing upon Visa’s long-standing involvement with Paralympic sports.

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