The FIFA World Cup will be the biggest sporting event of the year and the largest sports marketing exercise since the last World Cup.
We do not yet know the impact of taking place in the northern hemisphere winter, in mid-season of the main Leagues and in Qatar on the tournament or on the commercial power it wields.
We will though, each day through the tournament, look to cover these stories of what is happening off the field of play for our Sport for Business readers.
There is talk of people not watching and not supporting this most money-driven of World Cup renewals but the last tournament in Russia, Olympic Games in China and more have raised awareness that all is not well in the world but ultimately blasted through to enthrall the world, or at least the world able to watch on TV, in the way that only sport can.
So let’s buckle up and see where we can go…
THE WORLD CUP SPONSORS
There are seven official FIFA World Cup Partners and an additional seven World Cup Sponsors. This is the biggest cost sponsorship in World Sport and each of the individual deals will run from tens to hundreds of millions.
The seven FIFA World Cup Partners for Qatar 2022 are Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, Hyundai/Kia, Qatar Airways, Qatar Energy, and The Wanda Group.
TODAY’S SPONSOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT – ADIDAS
Adidas holds the Official Partner, Official Supplier, and Official Licensee Rights through to 2030. It first came on board with FIFA in 1970 and signed its most recent extension in 2013.
The company supplies the match ball, kit for all the officials, the children who accompany the players, the ball crews and much of the merchandise that you are able to buy.
It is the biggest of the commercial partners and will also see a massive return from the production of replica kits for seven of the competing teams, all on separate deals to its relationship with FIFA. They are big deals as well with Argentina, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Belgium, Japan, and Wales.
TROPHY LANDS IN DOHA
The famous World Cup trophy has arrived in Qatar and will be on public display for local residents and early-arriving fans tomorrow afternoon at Aspire Park. There will be shows around the arrival of the trophy and it will also be touring the city visiting businesses, charities, and other organisations.
CAN THE CURRENT TROPHY BE WON OUTRIGHT?
The FIFA World Cup Trophy was first introduced in 1974 after Brazil won the original Jules Rimet trophy for the third time in 1970.
FIFA retains the original trophy at its Swiss HQ and the winning country is given a replica gold-plated trophy.
The organisers changed their own rules after 1974 so that the current trophy cannot be won outright and will therefore be played for as long as the World Cup is.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM PRIZE MONEY A COMPETING NATION CAN WIN?
Each country that has qualified to play in Qatar will earn $1.5 million for doing so and then a minimum additional bonus of $9 million even if they are knocked out at the group stage.
