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 will, each day through the tournament, look to cover the stories of what is happening off the field of play for our Sport for Business readers.
FAN ZONE PIVOTs TO HOSPITALITY OUTLET
It will be one of the few places at the World Cup where alcohol will be sold, well, Budweiser as opposed to a wider range, and that is perhaps why 40,000 fans are expected each day at the official Fan Festival near the Corniche.
Traditionally these areas have presented an opportunity for the key sponsors to present themselves and that is certainly the case with Visa, Coca-Cola and Adidas maintaining a substantial presence.
Most of the area will be free to enter but for the first time, FIFA is selling a number of hospitality options for fans who might prefer to dine in the shade or at a remove from the regular fans.
The tickets for these experiences will cost anything from €400 to €1000.
Cans of Budweiser are being sold for 50 Riyal or just over €13.
TODAY’S SPONSOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT – QATAR ENERGY
Qatar Energy was the final global partner to come on board for the tournament in March of this year.
The company is wholly state-owned and is responsible for all crude oil, petroleum, and Liquefied Natural Gas activity in the country.
It is reported to be the fifth-largest Gas Company in the world and even the most lavish of sponsorship budgets would not put a dent in the massive revenues it generates.
Expect to see activation around the greening of the energy sector but this is very much a reputational rather than a transactional partnership.
LAHM STAYING AT HOME
Philipp Lahm was the captain of Germany when they won the World cup in Brazil in 2014. Since retiring as a player he has risen quickly through football administration and has been appointed by the German FA as Tournament Director for the Euro 2024 Finals, the next major tournament following on from Qatar.
As such, from a watching brief and a protocol exercise, he would have been high on the guest list for the World Cup hosts. His place will be filled by another though as he has said that he will not be travelling for the tournament.
He has publicly expressed his personal view that it was wrong to award the tournament to the state, citing its lack of a football culture as well as concerns over human rights and the treatment of women.
FOOTBALL OR SOCCER?
David Beckham has been on the receiving end of much criticism for accepting a very highly paid role as an ambassador for the tournament.
It’s not the only row he has been involved in. The Lay’s Crisps (chips) ad that was released yesterday has him locking horns with NFL quarterback Peyton Manning over that eternal question asked in any country which has its own variant of football, including in Ireland.
Here is how the conversation escalates, and perhaps just gets a little over the top…
CLUB AND COUNTRY
OPTA Analyst have pored over the club teams that have produced the most World Cup winners over the last six renewals and the Top Three have emerged as Barcelona with 10, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid with nine each.
The only English Premier League team to feature in the Top ten is Arsenal who had six players that won the tournament while on their books. Could you name them?
