BrazilVisit Rwanda signs football sponsorship deal with Atlético de Madrid
In a second major European professional football closing in the space of just a few weeks, ELLVEE has helped Visit Rwanda become a Premium Partner of Atlético de Madrid.
The sponsorship deals marks Atlético de Madrid’s first-ever commercial partnership with an African sponsor. An 11-time La Liga champion, Atlético de Madrid will promote the ’Visit Rwanda’ brand on the front and back of its men’s, women’s and academy training kits, and on the back of the official match playing jerseys for those teams.
The deal will see Visit Rwanda enjoy prominent visibility throughout the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, across Atlético de Madrid’s global digital platforms, and through global fan engagement programs. Visit Rwanda will also gain a multitude of player and coaching developmental rights, which will help advance the football ecosystem in Rwanda and provide talent pathways.
Visit Rwanda will be designated as the club’s Official Training Partner, Official Tourism Destination Partner, and an Official Coffee Supplier (coffee is the nation’s sixth export product by value).
Terms of and conditions of the multi-year sponsorship deal have not been disclosed, but it is understood to include rights and benefits in respect of the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA starting in June, and for the three full playing seasons thereafter.
On the side of Visit Rwanda, the deal was supported by ELLVEE, which acted as strategic advisors throughout the entire process, supporting the deal from initial discussions to leading the commercial negotiations and preparing the final contractual materials. ELLVEE’s team helped to ensure that Visit Rwanda’s latest collaboration is aligned to its sponsorship strategy and the core objectives of the Rwanda Development Board and Visit Rwanda.
Visit Rwanda’s footprint in football
Last month, Visit Rwanda also unveiled a sponsorship deal with Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain – that deal too was supported by ELLVEE, a Middle East commercial consultancy firm with a strong track record in the international sports commercial landscape.
For Visit Rwanda, which had previously struck sponsorship deals with other European powerhouses (Arsenal in England and Bayern Munich in Germany), the Atlético de Madrid partnership offers it a valuable opportunity to showcase Rwanda as a “premier global hub for investment, tourism, and sports development” to millions of football fans in Spain and around the world, said Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (which leads the ‘Visit Rwanda’ initiative).
“Through this collaboration, we aim to showcase Rwanda as an attractive destination for investors, a unique experience for global travellers, and a platform for nurturing talent and expanding opportunities for young Africans through sport.”
Óscar Mayo, Atlético de Madrid’s General Director of Revenue and Operations, further highlighted Visit Rwanda’s “great importance as a partner in our club’s goal of international expansion. We are always looking for partners with global solvency, linked to football and Visit Rwanda is an example of this. It is a country in constant growth and I am convinced that we will both benefit from this partnership.”
