The Argentine Football Association (AFA) governing body and international credit card provider American Express (AMEX) have announced an expansion of their sponsorship agreement.

The expansion, which builds on an initial deal struck in 2023, makes AMEX a global sponsor of the Argentine national teams through 2026, including the men’s national team, women's national team, and the youth national teams.

As part of the partnership, AMEX card members will now have early access to preferred seats and locations at the men’s national team matches in Argentina and select international friendlies.

Additionally, AMEX will offer select card members fan experiences such as meet and greets and training sessions.

Mohammed Badi, president of global network services at AMEX, said: "Our expanded sponsorship of the Argentine national team will elevate the AMEX brand globally and extend the benefits of membership to more people around the world.”

Leandro Petersen, AFA's commercial and marketing manager, added: "The sponsorship, which we are celebrating in New York, is a testament to the global reach of the AFA brand in strategic territories such as the United States, the Middle East, China, and India, where we reaffirm our leadership day after day.

“The AFA brand is now consolidated globally with more than 50 top-level commercial sponsors. This agreement will allow AMEX card members to access exclusive experiences and be closer to their idols, one of the objectives pursued by AFA.”

Last week the AFA and Wanda Sports Group, the sports arm of Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, reached an exclusive cooperation agreement in China.

The deal makes Wanda the commercial agent of the Argentinian national soccer teams until 2024.

The partnership follows the original deal made in 2022 centered around the World Cup in Qatar, where Wanda Sports was the exclusive partner of the Argentine national team in China.

Earlier last week the AFA entered into a sponsorship deal with FeedConstruct, a sports data provider.

Through the tie-up, FeedConstruct became a regional sponsor of the AFA and its respective national teams in Europe.

In late October, the AFA entered into an e-commerce partnership with Fanatics, the US-based online sportswear and equipment retailer.

The AFA's first commercial deal in Europe, meanwhile, also came in late October, through a tie-up with online gaming software provider Smartsoft.