World Cup sponsorship deals were down £ £ 1,214m m compared to 2018 prior to the start of the tournament. With global brands steering clear of sponsorships for this World Cup due to high political controversy, as well as FIFA 's association with corruption, sponsorship revenues fell on a tournament-to-tournament basis for the first time in history. However, there is a silver lining, with Nielsen revealing that “a new crop of sponsors, including several from China, helped Fifa weather the storm”. The shortfall in Chinese companies sponsoring the competition was partly made up for by a number of Western organisations inking commercial partnerships with FIFA .
World Cup sponsorship deals were down £ £1,214m m compared to 2018 prior to the start of the tournament. With global brands steering clear of sponsorships for this World Cup due to high political controversy, as well as FIFA 's association with corruption, sponsorship revenues fell on a tournament-to-tournament basis for the first time in history. The shortfall in Chinese companies sponsoring the competition was partly made up for by a number of Western organisations inking commercial partnerships with FIFA .