Commercial sponsors could hold the key to the outcome of the crisis at Fifa. MacDonalds and adidas, two of the headline sponsors for the 2018 World Cup, expressed grave concern at the fresh wave of allegations of systematic corruption within Fifa.
However, the strongest line has taken by Visa. Any company involved in financial services has a particular interest in not being tainted by allegations of corruption.
In a statement, Visa said:
Commercial sponsors could hold the key to the outcome of the crisis at Fifa. MacDonalds and adidas, two of the headline sponsors for the 2018 World Cup, expressed grave concern at the fresh wave of allegations of systematic corruption within Fifa.
However, the strongest line has taken by Visa. Any company involved in financial services has a particular interest in not being tainted by allegations of corruption.
In a statement, Visa said:
‘Our disappointment and concern with FIFA in light of today’s developments is profound. As a sponsor, we expect FIFA to take swift and immediate steps to address these issues within its organization. This starts with rebuilding a culture with strong ethical practices in order to restore the reputation of the games for fans everywhere.
Visa became a sponsor of FIFA because the World Cup is one of the few truly global sporting events with the power to unite people from around the world through a common love of football. Our sponsorship has always focused on supporting the teams, enabling a great fan experience, and inspiring communities to come together and celebrate the spirit of competition and personal achievement – and it is important that FIFA makes changes now, so that the focus remain on these going forward. Should FIFA fail to do so, we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship.’
Sony and Emirates ended sponsorship deals last year amid criticism of how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded to Russia and Qatar.