Claro, a Latin American telecommunications provider, has become a regional supporter of soccer’s FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year after striking a deal with the sport’s global governing body.
The agreement, which gives the firm rights to leverage the sponsorship across the whole of South America, will involve Claro “running unique promotions … through brand assets, tickets, and pre-produced content in the run-up to the World Cup 2022.”
It spans the continent and covers both fixed-line and wireless telecoms services – as well as wireless telecoms end-users – that Claro operates in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Nick Brown, FIFA’s director of commercial revenues, said: “Claro will help to build excitement ahead of this year’s tournament and bring the joy of this groundbreaking competition to South America.”
Jose Felix, president of Claro Brasil, added: “Claro is a market leader in the main countries of the region and, through its high-quality connectivity services, will help bring the excitement of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to its customers and all of South America.”
The 2022 World Cup, which will run from November 18 to December 21 and will contain 32 countries playing 64 matches across eight Qatari stadiums, will involve five South American teams. Brazil and Argentina have both already qualified, with the other three spots yet to be decided.
Claro becomes the second South American firm to secure regional supporter rights. In November last year, major financial institution Nubank signed up as an official partner.
Earlier in November, meanwhile, Ooredoo, a Qatar-based telecoms firm, entered into a deal to become the official Middle East and Africa telecommunications operator for the event, having first begun its relationship with Fifa two years ago by serving as a national supporter of the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup.
Other regional partners to have signed up include Qatar National Bank in February 2021, and GWC, a company that provides logistics and supply chain solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, in September 2020.
In late October, the 2022 World Cup organizing body also brought in Accor, the French hotel operator, to manage accommodation for visiting fans.
Those two parties have signed a deal that will see Accor manage Qatar’s real estate portfolio until the end of 2022.
