Longstanding partner had reportedly lodged legal action after soccer body sought new deal for expanded tournament.
Fifa and Coca-Cola appear to have settled a reported legal dispute after the soft drink giant was confirmed as the latest sponsor of this summer’s expanded Club World Cup.
UK newspaper the Guardian reported in October that Coca-Cola and sportswear firm Adidas had lodged legal action against Fifa at Zurich’s Swiss Arbitration Centre because soccer’s global governing body attempted to negotiate new contracts specifically for the revamped tournament.
Both Coca-Cola and Adidas are top-tier Fifa partners, which is the highest level of association with the governing body and grants sponsors rights across all of the men’s, women’s and esports competitions. As a result, the pair believed that the Club World Cup should have been included in their existing deals, which run until 2030.
It is unclear whether Coca-Cola’s newly announced sponsorship of the Club World Cup is an expansion of its existing partnership with Fifa or a standalone deal for the tournament, which is taking place in the US in June and July.
When asked for clarification, Fifa referred SportsPro back to its official statement, which said that Coca-Cola would be ‘continuing its partnership by activating the Fifa Club World Cup 2025’. Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As part of the deal, Coca-Cola will run fan engagement activities in US cities and around the world, while its portfolio of drinks will also be available to players and fans in attendance.
“Sports partnerships like the one we have with Fifa are an important growth driver for our company, brands and global system, and the Fifa Club World Cup will be a significant moment to bring the world together through the power of sport,” said Brad Ross, vice president of global sports and entertainment marketing and partnerships at Coca-Cola.
“Football fans are among the most passionate in the world, and we’re honoured to be part of these moments by refreshing fans and athletes with our portfolio of beverages and providing them with innovative experiences.”
Coca-Cola is the latest company to sign up for the Club World Cup, which is also being sponsored by beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, Chinese consumer electronics brand Hisense, and Bank of America, all of which have preexisting relationships with Fifa.
The governing body had initially struggled to generate commercial interest in the tournament, which is being broadcast globally by DAZN as part of a US$1 billion deal. The Athletic previously reported that Fifa had been seeking up to ten sponsors for the competition, with each paying more than US$100 million.
“The Coca-Cola Company has been involved in stadium advertising at every Fifa World Cup since 1950 and has provided many memorable experiences in global football over the decades,” added Fifa chief business officer Romy Gai.
“We are delighted to have such an important and a longstanding partner on board as we usher in a new era in global club football with the Fifa Club World Cup. This will be an exciting, inclusive and a truly global tournament that will ultimately further the development of the club game while delivering value to our partners.”
The Club World Cup gets underway on 14th June and will feature 32 teams, including 12 European sides, six South American clubs, five from the Concacaf region, one from Oceania and four representatives each from Africa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
SOURCE: https://www.sportspro.com/news/fifa-club-world-cup-coca-cola-sponsor-february-2025/