FIFA has announced the extension of its partnership with Visa (NYSE: V), one of the world leaders in digital payments, as an Official FIFA Partner.
The new agreement, which runs until 2026, allows Visa and FIFA to promote the growth of football and support players, fans and customers through an exciting program of youth events, Beach Soccer competitions and FIFAe, which will culminate in the biggest FIFA World Cup™ in history in 2026.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “FIFA is thrilled to partner with Visa and focus our strong partnership on what will be a very bright future. Visa’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the fan experience, combined to its innovative approach to payments technology, aligns with FIFA’s vision to make football global and accessible to all. We look forward to delivering exceptional moments to fans around the world.”
Visa will continue to serve as the Official Payment Technology Partner for FIFA business globally, offering a secure and seamless merchant experience to passionate FIFA fans locally. Visa cardholders will benefit from exclusive access, including behind the scenes, during FIFA tournaments, to dedicated pre-sales and other innovative promotions, including at FIFA stores and online at FIFAstore.com, for the duration of the partnership.
“Our collaboration with FIFA has produced immense benefits for our brand, our customers and cardholders,” said Oliver Jenkyn, Group President, Global Markets, Visa. “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership and deliver seamless payment experiences at one of the most popular sporting events in the world.”
Leveraging insights from Visa’s “Digital Fans: How Connected Experiences Can Power the Future of Fandom” study, Visa and FIFA will work together to identify additional initiatives to enhance the fan experience at the biggest FIFA World Cup ever and of the other FIFA tournaments.
Romy Gai, FIFA Chief Business Officer, said: “Since 2007, Visa has been instrumental in elevating the payment experience at more than 40 FIFA events, including the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar and last year at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, an event with record numbers While the fan experience has seen huge strides in the 16 years of partnership, FIFA and Visa continue to look forward to a modern digital commerce experience, customized and smooth for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
“One of Visa’s key goals in partnering with FIFA is to enrich the experience for fans and athletes,” added Frank Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa. “FIFA World Cup 26 represents a unique opportunity for Visa to achieve this goal. Although competitive sport is considered entertainment, it is actually also a thriving business. This allows Visa to operate at the intersection of culture and commerce and meet the high expectations of our cardholders at match time, whether they are watching the excitement of the match from their living room or at the heart of the action on the sidelines.”