FIFA Signs Deal With Gazprom, Continues World Cup Trophy Tour By Coca-Cola

Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom "signed a deal Saturday to sponsor FIFA for a four-year period," including when Russia hosts the World Cup in '18, according to R-SPORT. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller declined to specify how much Gazprom was paying to sponsor FIFA, saying only that "the sum reflected the scale of the World Cup." The sponsorship deal allows Gazprom to use the FIFA and World Cup logos in its advertising "and makes it the exclusive sponsor in the oil, gas and fuels sectors" (R-SPORT, 9/14).

GOING ON TOUR: FIFA and Coca-Cola announced the continuation of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. The FIFA trophy is set to embark on a 267-day journey, covering 89 countries, and giving millions of fans a close-up view of the trophy. Following the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, this is the third time that FIFA and Coca-Cola have come together for the Trophy Tour (FIFA).