Fifa World Cup
Features
Simon Chadwick | Gulf détente opens door for sports collaboration
Sport was caught in the crossfire of the four-year feud between Qatar and Saudi Arabia that ended with an agreement between the Middle Eastern rivals this month. The peace deal raises intriguing prospects for cooperation and joint projects.
Southeast Asia means business as Asean prepares Fifa World Cup 2034 bid
The financial numbers of an Asean World Cup bid in 2034 look positive, especially with a Chinese boost, but will Fifa’s member associations be convinced?
FFF hopes to capitalise on World Cup win with regional sponsorship deals and product licensing
The victory of the French men’s national team in the Fifa World Cup has triggered performance bonuses in three of its sponsorship deals and opened up new product licensing and regional sponsorship opportunities. Ben Cronin speaks to FFF marketing director François Vasseur about the commercial impact of the win.
Handle with flair: VAR and sponsorship
Tim Crow reflects on the use of VAR in Russia 2018 and why sponsors will be considering it in future tournaments.
TV2 and DR continue major event rights drive with 2026 World Cup deal
Danish government-owned broadcaster TV2 and public-service broadcaster DR have added to their recent high-profile rights acquisitions in a deal to show the 2026 Fifa World Cup
Migu to show Olympics and World Cup under CCTV content tie-up
Chinese streaming platform China Mobile Migu will carry live and on-demand coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2022 Fifa World Cup, under a deal with state broadcaster…
Uefa invites Qatar to take part in World Cup qualifying group
Uefa has invited the Qatar national team to compete in the European qualifying campaign for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which will take place in the Gulf nation
Fifa finalises plans for Arab Cup tournament in Qatar
Fifa, football’s global governing body, has confirmed plans for an Arab Cup tournament, which will feature 22 national teams from the region and take place in Qatar in December 2021 ahead of the country’s sta…
EXCLUSIVE | Le Floc’h: Fifa takes stock after race against time to sign partners
Time was the greatest enemy in Fifa’s attempt to sell the full offering of sponsorship rights for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Philippe Le Floc’h, Fifa’s chief commercial officer has told Sports Sponso…
1966 and all that | The commercialisation of England’s 1966 World Cup win
Football isn’t coming home. Not this time anyway.
‘Despite the troubled period, we will exceed our commercial targets’ | Philippe Le Floc’h
Fifa chief commercial officer Philippe Le Floc’h took questions from SportBusiness on sponsorship, media and Fifa’s commercial future.
Was Fifa right to expand the World Cup to 48 teams?
In December 2016 the Fifa Council decided to expand its flagship World Cup competition to include 48 participants from 2026 onwards
Tim Crow: Fifa needs to restore its sponsorship appeal, but Qatar 2022 makes a clean-up tricky
Fifa’s 2017 Financial Report, published back in December, took many people by surprise.
Phil Carling: Why Chinese brands have stepped in while the West pulls back
The sponsorship programme for the 2018 World Cup in Russia saw Fifa go to the well of multinational brands, but Fifa soon found the well had dried up
Ken Mainardis, Getty Images
The story of Getty Images and its long association with the Fifa World Cup reveals a lot about the way technology has changed professional sports photography.
Coca-Cola, guns and money: the genesis of the Fifa Partner programme
The Fifa Partner programme was born via an unlikely collaboration between a twenty-something PR man, his client – the Coca-Cola Company – and the Argentinian military junta. Th
1950-2014: A history of sponsorship at the Fifa World Cup
When Fifa organised the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, the event and the objectives of the federation were very different to the ones we recognise today
SportBusiness International June 2018
In this month's issue we cover the following:
MOROCCO 2026 – The North African country pushes the vision of a 'compact' World Cup
UNI
China Digest | LPGA confirms replacement for failed Alisports tournament
In this week's China sports industry round-up: LPGA confirms replacement for failed Alisports tournament; SAIC Motor strikes Chinese Super League deal; and Vivo lays out World Cup activations
United 2026 | North American bid hopeful that economics, not politics, will sway vote
Organisers of the joint US-Canada-Mexico bid have promised a record $11bn profit for Fifa but anti-US sentiment globally has put a once-certain bid in real jeopardy.
Morocco 2026 | North African country promises $5bn profit and more ‘compact’ World Cup
Changes to the Fifa host allocation process ought to give Morocco a better chance of hosting the Fifa World Cup than on any of the four previous occasions the country has bid for the tournament. Ben Cronin visits four of the host cities within the proposed bid to assess the strengths and weaknesses of its candidacy.
US Digest | Khan wants Wembley Stadium to host Super Bowl
In this week's US sports industry round-up: Khan wants Wembley Stadium to host Super Bowl; NFL Draft draws record TV ratings; and Trump interference threatens USA-led World Cup bid
China Digest | Second Formula E team becomes Chinese-owned
In this week's China sports industry round-up: Second Formula E team becomes Chinese-owned; US-China trade war threatens sportswear production; Chinese World Cup attendance will be strong, if overstated
2026 World Cup | Successful North American bid would be mixed blessing for local broadcasters
North American broadcasters would see viewing figures soar should a joint US, Canada and Mexico bid for the 2026 Fifa World Cup succeed. But, as Frank Dunne reports, it could also cost them dear.