Visa becomes FIFA Partner

Visa International has signed an agreement to become a FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Partner with global rights to a broad range of FIFA activities including the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Visa’s commitment will begin in January 2007 and will run through 2014 in the Financial Services product category. As one of six FIFA Partners, Visa will enjoy a higher level of association with FIFA than previous category sponsors and will enjoy rights to a broader range of FIFA activities including exclusive marketing assets, competitions, special events and development programs. Visa and FIFA will work together on a global basis to create exclusive Visa payment programs around these FIFA activities.

“This new sponsorship gives Visa Asia Pacific yet another exciting opportunity to draw even closer together, this hugely popular sport and its growing number of supporters the world over – cutting across all age, gender, ethnic groups and countries. Working with our member banks, Visa Asia Pacific will be able to offer exciting programs and promotions to its cardholders through this alliance with FIFA, thereby boosting tourism revenues and stimulating the retail and travel industries at the competition venues,” said Rajiv Kapoor, Visa Asia Pacific’s Executive Vice President and General Manager for Marketing.

Over the eight-year period, Visa will promote a number of FIFA events and competitions including the FIFA Confederations Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA Interactive World Cup, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Visa will also be working with FIFA to explore the possibility of developing and promoting visually impaired football, drawing upon Visa’s long-standing involvement with Paralympic sport.

FIFA’s commercial partnership strategy is designed to enhance the development of the sport across the world and through all walks of life. A FIFA Partner enjoys the highest level of association with FIFA, by far eclipsing basic event sponsoring, and comprising rights to all FIFA events, exclusive marketing assets, and an affiliation with the governing body's special events and development initiatives. Visa becomes one of six global organizations that will comprise FIFA's top tier of partners.

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