The City Football Group has clinched a sponsorship deal with Expo 2020 Dubai as Premier League champions Manchester City and ISL champions Mumbai City FC, will be partnering to amplify the brand partner.
The agreement will see the event in the Gulf as the official partner for Mumbai City FC, and it will also be the Exhibition partner for the Champions of England. City Football Group provides advisory services to Mumbai City FC at the moment and has agreed to acquire a majority investment in Mumbai City FC. The purchase is awaiting final approval.
Running from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will be a once-in-a-lifetime global experience, bringing together people, communities, and more than 190 nations to inspire action and deliver real-life solutions to real-life challenges. The partnership with City Group will focus on harness knowledge from world-leading initiatives to expand on its values of innovation, sustainability, and driving social change through football.
The global partnership will also feature local activations with several City’s other sister clubs, including New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, and Yokohama F. Marinos making it a truly diverse and worldwide activation. Expo 2020 will welcome more than 200 participants and millions of people from across the globe to Dubai and the UAE. The Expo will feature a dynamic and diverse program including architecture, innovation, culture, art, food, music, and sport from every corner of the planet over 182 days.
Roel de Vries, City Football Group’s Group Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are also looking forward to unveiling a Manchester City presence at the Expo where we will showcase on a global stage how the Club is leading the way in the football industry. It is also great to see Mumbai City FC being chosen as a marketing platform for Expo 2020 to reach fans in the region, as well as supporting Mumbai City’s maiden AFC Champions League campaign.”
It is not surprising to see City Football Group working with a gulf event since the owners of the group hail from Abu Dhabi. Expo 2020 Dubai had also been a part of the IPL 2021 in form of an official sponsor of the Rajasthan Royals as they look to spread their message across diverse populations through different sports. The most recent agreement can be considered a masterstroke as the City Football Group have the largest global footprint in the world of football across several continents. They also have a wide reach across diverse populations through their Grassroot efforts at their clubs.