On Tuesday, FIFA announced that Crypto.com will be an Official Sponsor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“Crypto.com has already demonstrated a commitment to supporting top-tier teams and leagues, major events and iconic venues across the world, and there is no platform bigger, or with a greater reach and cultural impact, than FIFA’s global platform of football,” said Kay Madati, FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer.
“We are delighted to have a global brand like crypto.com join us as a sponsor of the exciting and groundbreaking FIFA World Cup in Qatar, ultimately helping to grow our beautiful game on a global scale.”
The Singapore-based company will be the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform for the international tournament, which runs from November 21 to December 18. The company’s brand will be on display inside and outside the tournament's stadiums in Qatar.
“We could not be more excited to sponsor the FIFA World Cup, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, and to drive further awareness of crypto.com globally,” said Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com. “Through our partnership with FIFA, we will continue to use our platform in innovative ways so that crypto.com can power the future of world-class sports and fan experiences around the world.”
The partnership between FIFA and crypto.com is the latest investment in sports for crypto.com, having established sponsorship deals across high-level sports and entertainment worldwide including Formula 1, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Aussie Football League (AFL), Serie A Soccer, Paris St. Germain (Soccer), Montreal Canadiens (NHL) and the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA).
The company, founded in 2016, also acquired the naming rights last year to the Staples Center - home of the NBA franchises the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers - in a 20-year deal worth more than $700 million. To date, this is the largest venue naming rights deal in US history.
How does this change the sports marketing landscape?
Since 2021 Crypto.com has established a number of sponsorship deals, representing a core component of its brand building campaign. The company was among several industry leaders, such as FTX and Coinbase, to run advertisements during the Super Bowl on February 13. Crypto.com’s 30-second commercial featured NBA superstar LeBron James explaining and educating about crypto technology.
Your move, FTX. The cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform has been running crypto.com close when it comes to inking top-tier sporting relationships. Deals in place with Major League Baseball (MLB), Miami Heat (NBA), Cal Bears Stadium (college football), Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Trevor Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani, eSports team TSM. With FTX exchange’s history rooted in the US it is no surprise that the company has prioritized US sponsorships, unlike Crypto.com that have spread their name recognition wider over a greater breadth of international sports.
