January 23 – The global leg of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour sponsored by Coca-Cola kicked off with an official launch ceremony in London on Monday and plans to hit 91 cities across 51 countries and six continents.
By Paul Nicholson
September 21 – FIFA sponsor Coca-Cola has teamed up with FIFA 18 video gamemaker EA Sports to sign Alex Hunter as a brand ambassador in advance of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Don’t bother trying to work out who Hunter plays for, he only exists as a virtual athlete in the FIFA 18 game.
By David Owen
March 18 – The full scale of the financial damage wreaked by FIFA’s year of turmoil is now becoming apparent. Revenue from marketing rights to the World Cup – sponsorship to you and me – is down over $100 million, or 29%, in 2015 from the equivalent figure in 2011, the corresponding point in the previous four-year commercial cycle.