FIFA ‘Goes Green Again’ by Renewing Yingli Sponsor for Brazil WC

June 9, 2011

In what it claims as ‘going green once again’, soccer’s world governing body FIFA has renewed a contract with solar specialists Yingli Green Energy to be an official sponsor of the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil having successful partnered last year’s tournament.

Yingli became the first Chinese company and the first renewable energy company to agree a global deal with Fifa when sponsoring the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and they will be returning to the role for the 20th edition of soccer’s showpiece event.

Under the terms of the deal, Yingli will receive extensive ticketing and hospitality rights and perimeter advertising at World Cup matches, as well as being entitled to use official branding for the tournament in promotional campaigns. In addition, Yingli will also be working with Fifa and the local organising committee to develop the use of renewable energy in delivering the tournament.

Although financial terms of the deal were not released, reports suggest it will be worth in advance of last year’s commitment to the World Cup in South Africa, valued at around US$40m.

Liangsheng Miao, the chairman and chief executive of Yingli Green Energy, said: “After our 2010 Fifa World Cup sponsorship, we saw a tremendous increase in our brand awareness and inquiries for our products. We were also very happy to see how our products brought smiles to the children in need by supplying our solar solutions for Fifa’s Football for Hope programme.

“Thus, we are thrilled to continue our sponsorship with Fifa by becoming an official sponsor of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil and to be an important renewable energy partner to the world’s most-watched single-sport event. We are excited to once again join hands with Fifa, to build a greener Fifa World Cup and a more sustainable future with affordable clean energy provided by the sun.”

Fifa marketing director Thierry Weil added: “We could not have organised the Fifa World Cup on the scale that we saw in 2010 without the support of sponsors such as Yingli Solar. Yingli Solar’s activities have had a wide geographical impact, from raising the awareness of the Fifa World Cup in their home market China, to providing solar expertise and products in rural parts of Africa as part of the “Football for Hope” programme. We view our agreement as a strategic long-term cooperation and I am delighted to welcome Yingli Solar on board as a committed sponsor of the 2014 Fifa World Cup.”