Alibaba E-Auto, the car manufacturing brand of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group, has secured a long-term partnership deal with football’s global governing body Fifa for the annual Club World Cup tournament.
The presenting partnership will run for eight years, from 2015 to 2022.
The announcement was made ahead of the start of the 2015 Club World Cup in Japan tomorrow (Thursday). The tournament, which features continental club champions such as Spanish LaLiga club Barcelona, will run until December 20.
Alibaba Group is the world's largest online and mobile commerce company, and Alibaba E-Auto plans to launch a so-called ‘internet car’ brand in 2016.
Fifa marketing director Thierry Weil said: “We hope to benefit from their innovation, and are looking forward to seeing what they can bring to the Fifa Club World Cup over the next eight years.”
Alibaba E-Auto will present the Most Valuable Player Award at each match during the tournament.