Aramco signs multi-year global partnership deal with FIFA

Image credit: Christopher Pike/ Getty Images

Saudi Aramco has signed a four-year worldwide partnership deal with the world soccer governing body, FIFA, making the state-energy giant a partner including in major tournaments such as the World Cup 2026 and the Women’s World Cup 2027.

“This partnership will assist FIFA to successfully deliver its flagship tournaments over the next four years and, as is the case with all our commercial agreements, enable us to provide enhanced support to our 211 FIFA member associations across the globe,” Gianni Infantino, FIFA president said in a statement.

Aramco said it plans to work with FIFA to drive innovation, identifying opportunities to deploy the company’s expertise and technologies in the delivery of football events globally. This includes initiatives that seek to provide new and innovative ways for football fans to engage with FIFA’s events.

Creating impact through the power of football with @FIFAcom ⚽
#aramco pic.twitter.com/vxyup8x3Jn

— aramco (@aramco) April 25, 2024

The energy firm also signed a new five-year agreement in December 2023 to become the exclusive title sponsor of the Aston Martin Formula One team, a deal that runs until 2028. Saudi Aramco is also a global partner of Formula One and the title sponsor of several races.

Saudi Arabia has been pouring billions into sports worldwide such as golf, football, motorsports and martial arts.

Last August, Riyadh Air also signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Atlético de Madrid, making the carrier the main and official airline partner for the Spanish soccer club.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is making big bets on global sports including golf and football as the kingdom looks toward a post-oil future. The country officially launched its campaign to host the 2034 soccer World Cup in March, a bid that is all but certain to succeed due to the absence of any other expressions of interest before FIFA’s deadline late last year.

Saudi Arabia stunned golf enthusiasts when its sovereign fund, Public Investment Fund, said its commercial interest including LIV Golf will merge with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour into a unified commercial entity in June 2023.

It also unveiled its sports clubs investment and privatisation project, as part of the Gulf state’s ambitious Vision 2030 reform programme that seeks to diversify the economy away from heavy reliance on oil revenues.

The launch of the sports clubs’ privatisation plan earlier in June came as the kingdom continues to flex its financial might by luring some of the best players from European clubs with lucrative contracts, including Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson and Liverpool great Steven Gerrard who has joined Al-Ettifaq as head coach.

Read: Saudi Arabia officially launches FIFA 2034 World Cup bid