Chinese company becomes World Cup sponsor, FIFA confident China will eventually stage event
FIFA has expressed confidence that China will one day host a World Cup after Chinese smartphone giant vivo signed up as a tournament sponsor on Wednesday.
President Xi Jinping’s master plan to turn the nation into a soccer superpower is beginning to bear fruit, with the sport’s popularity soaring in China.
More and more Chinese companies are taking advantage of soccer’s vast marketing potential, with FIFA hailing its vivo partnership as a major boost for Chinese soccer and another symbolic step for the country’s ambitions of eventually hosting a World Cup finals.
FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura welcomed China’s increased commercial involvement in soccer’s showpiece event.
“Diversity is something the soccer world needs to embrace,” said Senegalese Samoura.
“Having different sponsors from Europe to China, and from sportswear makers to smartphone companies, is a very positive step forward from FIFA’s perspective.
“We can also expect to see an increase in the level of soccer development in China.
“And with more teams from Asia participating in World Cup 2026, it should boost the quality of football in China and Asia in general.
“We are confident that the World Cup will come to China in the near future.”
As FIFA’s official smartphone brand, vivo will sponsor the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar, as well as the Confederations Cup.
Vivo’s logo will appear on pitchside advertising boards in every match, while the company will introduce a customized FIFA World Cup phone for soccer fans.
Vivo follows in the footsteps of two other Chinese companies: Consumer-electronics maker Hisense, which signed as a 2018 World Cup sponsor in April, and real-estate and media conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, which became a FIFA partner last year.
“We see that soccer and technology are coming together day by day, on the pitch and off it. It’s natural for FIFA to partner with a leading company in China’s smartphone industry and also in the technology sector,” said Samoura.
Ni Xudong, the senior vicepresident of vivo, said: “Soccer is a sport full of passion and vitality. The spirit of soccer is about constant progress. As a global sponsor of FIFA World Cup, vivo hopes to show its customers around the world a joyful, creative and international image.”
The agreement is indicative of vivo’s efforts to tap into sports marketing in recent years.
The company signed a strategic partnership with the NBA last year, becoming the official mobile handset of the competition in China, while it is also sponsoring the Indian Premier League, the most-watched cricket league in India, which also attracts a global TV audience.
“Through our commitment to sports marketing, we want to spread the value of vivo as a youthful and innovative brand, and provide better products and services to our customers, giving them a better experience of technology and life,” said Ni.
The partnership also boosts China’s efforts to improve its standing in international soccer.
China introduced an ambitious soccer reform plan in 2016, which aims to make the country a powerhouse by 2050.
Under the strategy, training programs have been launched in over 10,000 schools and massive investment has been made by Chinese Super League clubs in recent transfer windows.
From 2026, Asia will have eight guaranteed berths in the World Cup after the tournament was expanded from 32 to 48 teams, a move which should aid the Chinese national team.
China has only qualified for one World Cup — the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea.
We can also expect to see an increase in the level of soccer development in China. We are confident that the World Cup will come to China in the near future.” Fatma Samoura, FIFA secretary general