FIFA to name 'Visit Saudi' official sponsors as Nigeria, others prepare for Women's World Cup

FIFA WWC FIFA to name 'Visit Saudi' official sponsors as Nigeria, others prepare for Women's World Cup

Jidechi Chidiezie 19:47 - 02.02.2023

The 2023 tournament will be the first to feature the expanded format of 32 teams, from the previous 24, meaning more funds are bound to be generated by FIFA, and its sponsors.

FIFA will ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup, confirm 'Visit Saudi' as one of the sponsors of the 32-team women's tournament scheduled to hold in Australia and New Zealand.

The tournament which will kick off at Auckland’s Eden Park on July 20, is expected to play host to over 500000 football fans for a month, with international brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa all showcasing themselves as sponsors of the competition.

According to a deal which has been agreed upon, under FIFA’s new “commercial partnership structure”, Saudi Arabia’s tourist authority is to sponsor the women's supreme football event, in a bid to develop revenues specifically for the women’s game.

FIFA announce minor change in Nigeria's Group B

With demand increasing for tickets to see Australia's opening game against the Republic of Ireland, FIFA earlier this week announced that the fixture had been relocated to the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia.

“FIFA's mission is to organise the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in history this year and fans, those who bring colour, passion and atmosphere to stadiums will be such an integral part of the tournament’s success,” said Fifa’s secretary general, Fatma Samoura.

“With this in mind, we have taken a decision that will enable over 100,000 fans to attend the opening match day”

After their game against the Republic of Ireland on July 20, Australia will take on Nigeria's Super Falcons in their second Group B fixture, seven days later.

FIFA hoping for development of the Women's game

FIFA’s new “commercial partnership structure” also directs that funds generated from the World Cup through the likes of Visit Saudi will go back into the sport.

The Women’s World Cup hopes to accelerate the growth of the women’s game across the world, with an expanded number of competing nations and a tournament split over two countries for the first time. 

With a larger field of participating nations and a competition spread over two nations for the first time, the Women's World Cup aims to accelerate the development of the women's game, worldwide.