The news: Visa is the official payment technology partner of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.
This builds on Visa’s longstanding partnership with the FIFA World Cup since 2007.
Wins for Visa: The value of sports marketing is soaring. FIFA reports 5 billion football fans among its ranks, many of whom are concentrated across key emerging markets in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Partnering with FIFA dovetails with Visa’s aim to grow by penetrating international markets and non-card payments.
While no marketing data can yet be compared for the FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 audience numbers are eye-popping:
- 5 billion in total media engagement
- 2.9 billion in linear TV
- 2.7 billion in digital/streaming
- 2.2 billion in social media
As the official payments partner, Visa could debut or highlight new payments technology to a captive audience of tournamentgoers, including AI fraud protection features or Visa Direct, which grew 34% YoY in Q1.
Brand alignment: Visa already counts itself among the Olympics’ key partners. The 2024 Games were that year’s biggest sports sponsorship event, making Visa’s strategy of large sporting events a tentpole of its marketing efforts.
Our take: Visa’s partnership with FIFA serves to increase its visibility across vital markets, boost brand awareness, and illustrate the value of its services in connection with the exhilaration of the FIFA club games.