The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the governing body of soccer in Asia, has secured a global sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways that includes several major national team and club competitions.
Confirmed
- New agreement to run for six years, covering 2023 to 2029
- Deal includes sponsorship of the Asian Cup Qatar 2023, taking place early next year
- Other events covered include the U23 Asian Cup 2024, the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, and the Futsal Asian Cups in 2024, 2026 and 2028
- Deal also encompasses club competitions such as the AFC Champions League in 2023/24 and the newly created AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Women’s Champions League and the AFC Champions League 2
- Partnership to be managed by Asia Football Group (AFG), the AFC’s commercial agency until 2028
Context
Qatar Airways, a major backer of numerous elite properties across a range of sports, recently extended its role as the official global airline partner of Fifa until 2030, a deal believed to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The new AFC deal gives the company exposure across several key competitions taking place on its home turf and ensures it remains one of the biggest corporate benefactors of soccer globally.
Comment
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group’s chief executive, said: “Qatar Airways is excited to welcome the AFC to our robust sports sponsorship portfolio. This is a monumental occasion which marks our shared commitment to connecting people across borders and promoting competitive sportsmanship.”
Coming next
Qatar will stage the first event covered under the sponsorship deal, the Asian Cup 2023, from 12th January to 10th February after original hosts China pulled out in 2022 due to lingering Covid restrictions.
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