World Cup 2030 an opportunity for sponsors to build reach, say experts

Holding the 2030 World Cup in six countries could cause logistical headaches but a tournament on three continents will be viewed as a boon by sponsors and advertisers seeking to expand their brands globally, sports marketing experts have said.

FIFA allocated the 2030 World Cup to Spain, Portugal and Morocco last week but also said Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would host three matches to mark the tournament's centenary.

"It's going to be a mess for the players and for anyone who wants to attend games," Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing expert and creative director at Pinnacle Advertising, told Reuters.

"But for advertisers, it may be an opportunity because they now have three continents in which they can build their market. Most of the sponsors are global brands, so they're looking to build markets around the world.

"It's also great for newer advertisers, who may be a little more regional and looking to expand. South American companies may just want to focus on those three games in their region, but they may also want to build a brand in North Africa or Europe."

Victor Matheson, sports economist at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, said the 2030 World Cup proposal was "extremely well done" on FIFA's part.

"It's hard to find anything to criticise about this particular event," Matheson said.

"I would suspect the sponsors are definitely looking forward to this a lot more than they were looking forward to Qatar."

The decision to award Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup was marred by controversy, including allegations of corruption and human rights violations.

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The World Cup in Qatar also had to contend with strict controls on alcohol. Two days before the tournament kicked off, Budweiser, the