Qatar Air becomes World Cup sponsor after Emirates ends deal

Qatar Airways signed an agreement with FIFA to sponsor 2 World Cup tournaments until 2022, filling a spot left vacant by rival Emirates when it quit its sponsorship following corruption allegations at soccer’s global governing body. The carrier will become FIFA’s official partner and airline for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Persian Gulf country will host the most-watched event in global sports for the first time in the region. The deal provides Qatar Airways with marketing and branding rights at the events, with an expected audience of more than 2b people per tournament. The airline declined to disclose the value of the deal, which also covers this year’s Confederations Cup, a warm-up event. Emirates’ contract began in 2006 and concluded in 2014. <br/>