The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has today (July 15) appointed sports agency heavyweight IMG as its exclusive Asia-Pacific (APAC) sponsorship agency until 2026.
Through the deal, IMG will seek out new sponsorship opportunities for the AFA and its representative teams (both men’s and women’s) across 39 APAC countries, during the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The deal was announced following the Argentine men’s team’s victory in the final of the regional Copa America national teams’ tournament, beating Colombia 1-0 last night.
The deal sees IMG replace Wanda Sports in this capacity in China, where the latter body has a deal in place with the AFA through 2024. The deal between the AFA and Wanda was originally struck in 2022.
Claudio Tapia, the AFA’s president, said: “This new alliance with a leading commercial group like IMG demonstrates our organization's leadership in Asia. Reaching important and strategic markets such as China, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea, where the AFA has an extensive fan base and audience.
“Through this alliance, we will be able to develop more partnerships and unique sponsorship packages designed for each territory.”
The AFA claims to have “established partnerships with 50 sponsors” since 2018.
Adolfo Bara, senior vice president and managing director of football events at IMG, added: “Argentinian football is at a pinnacle following its national teams’ success on the international stage. We look forward to building on that incredible momentum by leveraging IMG’s extensive global sales network and regional expertise, to develop more strategic sponsorship opportunities for the next generation of Argentinian football.”
As well as this year’s Copa America, Argentina won the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Last week, the AFA unveiled a regional commercial deal with Cyprus-based international gambling firm Parimatch. Through the tie-up, the betting brand becomes the fifth regional sponsor of the AFA.
In early June, meanwhile, the body and Argentinean concrete mixer company Horcrisa announced a deal.
