Mastercard, the international credit card giant, has agreed a multi-year partnership with USA’s National Women’s Soccer League.

The announcement will see Mastercard serve as an official partner to the league and use brand activations to strengthen the NWSL's fan base experience.

As part of the tie-up, Crystal Dunn, one of the top NWSL players, will join Mastercard’s roster of soccer brand ambassadors.

Lisa Baird, commissioner for NWSL, said: “We are excited to welcome Mastercard as one of our Top Tier Partners, a brand with a storied history of creating priceless fan experiences. We have the best fans out there. Their commitment to the sport is unrivalled.

"They deserve to have an experience on par with any major sports league, and that time has arrived. The planned Mastercard activations have the power to unite and energise not only our current fan base, but to being even more fans in, truly benefitting our players and women’s soccer overall.”

To mark the new partnership, Mastercard will launch a new virtual and in-person fan experience, the VIP Game Day Experience, via Priceless.com. The in-person experiences will be held at outdoor NWSL games, in accordance with Covid-19 regulations.

Raja Rajamannar, chief of marketing and communications at Mastercard, said: “Growing passions and fostering connections is core to what Mastercard stands for. We are honoured to support the very passionate NWSL fan base. Together with the league, we look forward to elevating their game day experiences all season long, bringing fans closer to what they love.”

VIP Game Day Experience will provide a fan and three guests a game day experience with the team of their choice, giving access to pre-game warm-ups, premium seats, prepaid Mastercard for food and beverages and a swag bag with team apparel.

Over the past decade Mastercard has built up a wealth of partnerships with women’s sport across tennis, golf, soccer and rugby, including sponsorship of athletes, teams and events.