Midea, the Chinese home appliances brand, has expanded its global sponsorship deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to include that regional soccer governing body's national team competitions.
The multi-year deal sees Midea become a global supporter of all AFC’s national team competitions, gaining the exclusive rights to promote its brand and certain products worldwide across the competitions.
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The agreement starts with the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the men’s FIFA 2026 World Cup being held across the US, Canada, and Mexico, and also covers the Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia, the men’s Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia, and the U23 Asian Cups in 2026 and 2028.
Also included are the AFC’s age-group and futsal competitions: the U20 Asian Cup 2027, the U17 Asian Cup 2026, 2027 and 2028, the U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, 2027 and 2028, the U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 and 2028, and the 2026 and 2028 editions of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup.
Midea is already a global supporter of the AFC’s club competitions as part of its original tie-up with the governing body struck in April, covering the Champions League Elite men’s competition, second-tier Champions League Two, and the Women’s Champions League through the 2028-29 season.
AFC secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John has said: “Across our national team competitions, we have witnessed rising playing standards and greater connection with our passionate fanbase, and we are eager to collaborate with innovative organizations like Midea to deliver more unforgettable moments for all our valued stakeholders.”
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By GlobalDataLewis Fu, president of Midea International Business, added: “Midea strongly believes that the next four years are set to be an important part of AFC’s footballing history.
“Combined with the club competitions, the future is bright for the AFC, and we look forward to growing together in the coming years as Midea’s home appliance business continues to go from strength to strength across the region.”
The new deal adds to Midea’s growing sports sponsorship portfolio, which includes holding the front-of-shirt designation for Spanish top-tier side Sevilla through the 2025-26 campaign.
Midea is also a partner of English soccer heavyweights Manchester City, with the last deal between the two parties announced in May 2023.
The AFC, meanwhile, continues to ramp up its commercial activity, having recently announced a deal with Du Xiaoman Technology, a Chinese fintech firm, covering the AFC's men's national team qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In February, meanwhile, the regional soccer body renewed a wide-ranging partnership with Visa.
These deals are brokered by Asia Football Group (AFG), the AFC’s exclusive commercial agency for the 2023-28 cycle.
