FIFA deepens Saudi ties with major World Cup 2026 sponsorship
May 15 – FIFA has expanded its partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) which has become a major sponsor of the 2026 World Cup. Last month FIFA announced in Atlanta that all its World Cup 2026 sponsorship categories had been filled.
On Thursday, the world governing body announced that PIF will headline the tournament sponsorship, building on a previous partnership around last summer’s Club World Cup and reinforcing the ties between the global governing body and the Arab Kingdom that will host the 2034 World Cup.
That partnership saw PIF invest $1 billion in the tournament, closely tied to the DAZN broadcast rights buy. Since then PIF has become an investor in DAZN which in turn has taken on a key management, content and broadcast delivery role in the FIFA+ streaming platform.
The 2026 World Cup sponsorship will put Savvy Games Group and Qiddiya City, a future Saudi entertainment hub near Riyadh.
“Football plays a crucial role in the ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia, and being the host of the FIFA World Cup 2034 reinforces the country’s ambition to grow the game globally, create new opportunities for all and extend its benefits in Saudi Arabia and every part of the world for generations to come,” said a FIFA press release.
FIFA did not give a value for the partnership that will see the designated as an Official Tournament Supporter.
“The partnership with PIF will help grow our sport across the globe through unlocking new opportunities, fostering innovation and engaging youth, ensuring that millions of young people have the chance to play football and enjoy its many benefits,” said FIFA’s chief business officer Romy Gai.
Recently, Saudi Arabia and PIF have put a brake on certain sports sponsorship and investments, in particular withdrawing from LIV Golf after spending $5 billion in setting up the rival to the PGA Tour.
However, the FIFA partnership signals that the Saudis still see key strategic football properties as central to their domestic growth. Saudi Arabia was given a major helping hand in the 2034 bid process by FIFA who expedited the bidding to steer the tournament toward the Middle East for a second time after Qatar in 2022. The World Cup 2034 comes with a huge domestic investment in infrastructure.
“PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth,” said Mohamed AlSayyad, PIF’s head of corporate brand.
“This partnership builds on our existing FIFA relationship from last year’s FIFA Club World Cup – and our work with Concacaf – to deliver a positive and lasting impact. PIF continues to accelerate the growth of football globally by expanding access to the game and creating opportunities that benefit players, fans and the wider football ecosystem.”
PIF recently disclosed a new investment strategy and criteria, omitting sports directly as a key focus but including it within a wider associated business category. In its release, FIFA noted: “PIF’s ongoing commitment to the sports sector, which lies within the tourism, leisure and entertainment ecosystem in PIF’s recently announced 2026-2030 strategy.”
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