Qatar Airways inks major sponsorship deal with football world body FIFA until 2022

In a major development, Qatar Airways was announced as the Official Partner and Official Airline of world football body FIFA until 2022.

Under the new agreement, which had been widely expected, Qatar Airways will sponsor major footballing events including the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to Gulf Times.

As an Official FIFA partner, Qatar Airways will have extensive marketing and branding rights at the next two FIFA World Cups, with an expected audience reach of more than two billion people per tournament. It will also have visibility at competitions such as the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA Futsal World Cup and the FIFA Interactive World Cup, the world’s largest online gaming tournament, FIFA.com said in an official Press statement.

The partnership represents one of the biggest sporting sponsorships in the world and the largest in the history of Qatar Airways, the announcement stated.

“FIFA is delighted to partner with the world’s fastest-growing airline, Qatar Airways. Known for introducing industry firsts, Qatar Airways is an ideal partner for FIFA as we prepare for the first-ever World Cup in the Gulf region. We look forward to working hand in hand with Qatar Airways to promote FIFA competitions and football around the world,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura.

Qatar Airways, in a statement, said that the announcement builds on their sponsorship strategy with major sporting clubs and events around the globe, which includes partnerships with FC Barcelona and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli FC, as well as Formula E races in Paris and New York, the UCI Cycling Road World Championships, as well as long-standing sponsorships of Qatar Total and ExxonMobil Tennis Tournaments.

“Qatar Airways understands the power of sport in bringing people together in the spirit of friendly competition. FIFA, as the governing body of the world’s most popular sporting tournament, the World Cup, embodies the power of football’s popularity, and as such is a natural partner for Qatar Airways.

“We look forward to celebrating wins with the fans, being inspired by the artistry of the players, and to the excitement of each match over the next two FIFA competition cycles, until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be proudly held in our home country, the State of Qatar,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.