The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has unveiled a strategic partnership agreement with sports marketing agency EMW Global for commercial advisory on sponsorships and partnerships in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The governing body said the tie-up will allow it to “coordinate extended commercial initiatives across key regions, driving impactful brand alliances and unlocking fresh sponsorship opportunities.”
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
EMW Global will be working closely with the AFA in identifying and connecting with both global and regional sponsorship prospects, partnership activation, and delivery for existing partners across the "diverse host cities and commercial sectors."
The 48-team 2026 World Cup will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
AFA and EMW have had a partnership for nearly 10 years, with the agency helping the federation grow its commercial footprint across the crypto, mobile gaming, and trading sectors.
Leandro Petersen, chief commercial and marketing officer at the AFA, said: “After more than five years, and over eight sponsorships between EMW and AFA, including Xtrend, Tencent (PUBG Mobile), and L bank, we are excited to formalise our partnership with EMW through this strategic announcement to bring more commercial partners to AFA in the run-up to FIFA 2026.’’
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataMichael Rocha-Keys, chief executive and founder of EMW Global, said: “Our appointment by AFA for this strategic role ahead of the FIFA World Cup marks a significant milestone for EMW Global and reflects our proven expertise in guiding brands through complex commercial ecosystems.
“We look forward to elevating the AFA brand across key territories and delivering transformational sponsorship and partnership programmes.”
Last month, the AFA appointed Druid Sport, the boutique sports marketing agency, as its commercial representative in China.
That deal will see Druid sell and manage regional sponsorship packages for the Argentinian national team in the Chinese market, also in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, where the team will defend its title.
The tie-ups with EMW and Druid exist alongside AFA’s partnership with sports agency heavyweight IMG, which is the governing body’s exclusive Asia-Pacific sponsorship agency until 2026.
Through that deal, IMG is also seeking out new sponsorship opportunities for the AFA and its representative teams across 29 APAC countries during the build-up to the World Cup.
The AFA’s most recent regional commercial partnership was secured in March with international banking giant HSBC, focused on the Indian and Singaporean markets.
Meanwhile, US Soccer has brought Purina on board as its official pet care partner.
The partnership, which runs through 2030, includes exclusive rights for Purina across a wide range of categories, including pet food, treats, supplements, litter, connected pet products, and pet adoption initiatives.
The two parties will also collaborate on content, on-site events, co-branded merchandise, and retail promotions.
Purina’s sponsorship will debut at the US men’s national team’s international friendly against Korea on September 6.
Earlier this month, US Soccer announced a new partnership with global snack brand Kellanova.
In terms of other recent commercial activity for the governing body, it partnered with food and beverage hospitality provider Levy in July and agreed a multi-year partnership with American Airlines in May.
Other sponsors for the federation include the likes of Volkswagen (presenting partner), Nike (kit supplier), Allstate, AT&T, Marriott Bonvoy, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Visa, and Ticketmaster.
