October 30 – With less than a year to go to the Club World Cup in the US in 2025, FIFA has at last managed to secure a commercial sponsorship partner.
Hisense has been named the inaugural Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, adding to what has now been a seven-year collaboration with FIFA events for the Chinese home appliances and electronics giant.
The deal was announced at a special event in Shanghai attended by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Hisense Group Chairman Jia Shaoqian.
FIFA is confident the agreement now sets the stage for a wave of additional sponsorship deals for the organisation’s new flagship club competition that has come under ferocious fire from players unions and leagues, particularly in Europe. It received renewed criticism in the US, where it will be staged next June, over the competition’s sporting integrity following Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s inclusion.
Concerns within the game have snowballed regarding player welfare with newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner Rodri being one of the highest profile players to disagree with FIFA’s Club World Cup expansion, saying that modern players are having a hard time keeping up with the expanding playing schedule. Just days after making the statement, the Spaniard suffered a season-ending knee injury.
FIFA say that further partnerships are expected to flow from this first major deal (though no value has been announced), with new sponsors to be unveiled in the coming weeks. and clubs and member associations which will be watching very closely. Europe’s big clubs require big money to compete while member associations are increasingly voicing fears over FIFA’s ability to finance the new competition without having to dip into funds earmarked for national associations.
Speaking at the partnership launch in Shanghai on Wednesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “We are delighted to welcome Hisense, a global market-leading brand, as an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Hisense’s commitment to innovation and technology aligns with our vision for this tournament, which will bring together the 32 best teams from around the world for an unforgettable celebration of our game that will revolutionise club football.”
“This partnership will offer fans unique ways to engage with the tournament, both on and off the pitch, while laying a technological and innovation-led foundation for the FIFA Club World Cup to flourish.”
Infantino has repeatedly made the assertion that these are the world’s best club teams FIFA has to offer, but the reality is they don’t include all of the world’s best teams, an issue further highlighted over Lionel Messi’s marketing driven qualification.
Hisense Group Chairman Jia Shaoqian was a bit more level-headed with his pre-tournament hype, saying: “We are proud to be an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which is a competition among the top clubs from all six confederations, representing a dialogue between champions, a collision of first-class excellence. This perfectly aligns with Hisense’s pursuit of the champion spirit and our latest corporate goal to build a world-class enterprise and brand.
“As the pioneer in AI televisions, Hisense’s newly launched AI TV series is a perfect match for the FIFA Club World Cup. The technological foundation of Hisense AI TV is the independently developed Xinghai large model, which supports continuous smart upgrades across various appliance categories, significantly enhancing the user experience and market competitiveness. Together with FIFA, Hisense will present the best Club World Cup for global audiences.”
The tournament is penned to kick off on the 15 June 2025, with the final a little under a month later on July 13.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1730319465labto1730319465ofdlr1730319465owedi1730319465sni@g1730319465niwe.1730319465yrrah1730319465