Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group has realigned its partnership with Fifa, football’s global governing body, after its Alibaba Cloud division replaced Alibaba E-Auto as a presenting partner of the Club World Cup.
The deal runs until 2022 and begins with the 2017 edition of the event, which is being staged from December 6-16 in the United Arab Emirates.
As part of the agreement, Alibaba Cloud will design and present the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
The company replaces fellow Alibaba subsidiary, Alibaba E-Auto, as presenting partner of the competition. In December 2015, Alibaba E-Auto signed an eight-year sponsorship deal with Fifa for the tournament, running until 2022.
Alibaba Cloud president Simon Hu said the agreement with Fifa is part of a larger bid by the business unit to promote “inclusive technology,” which grants access to the latest advances in cloud-computing and artificial intelligence, as well as other innovations, to as many people as possible.
“By becoming a major partner of the Fifa Club World Cup, we hope to show how our technology can bring new aspects of fun and enjoyment to fans of sports, including those people who might have had barriers to access or participate before,” he said.