FIFA signs China's Wanda as top level sponsor partner

Conglomerate Wanda Group has become the first Chinese top-tier partner of world football governing body FIFA

Wanda Group will have rights to all Fifa competitions and corporate activities up to and including the 2030 World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the Wanda partnership would help with the continuing development and growth of the game in China and elsewhere.
"We are highly motivated to promote football across the country and to inspire a new generation of youngsters," said Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Wanda Group and the richest man in China.

It is the first big deal of new FIFA President Gianni Infantino's reign, and the first since the scandals that engulfed the organisation.

Wanda Group operates in a number of sectors including property, retail, sport, hotels, film and stores.
It has entered at the highest level of sponsorship rights and the deal covers the next four World Cups until 2030.

The financial size of the partnership has not been revealed, but it is believed to be one of the biggest in FIFA'ss history.

FIFA's top five sponsors - Coca Cola, Gazprom, Adidas, Visa, Hyundai - paid some $180m to the governing body between them in 2015

Although Wanda is the first Chinese firm to enter at this top level, another Chinese firm, Yingli Solar - a solar panel provider - was a second-tier Fifa sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.