YAHOO SPORTS' Daniel Roberts noted Galaxy and Sweden national team F Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be the "global face of Visa's marketing campaign" for the '18 FIFA World Cup. Financial terms of the deal "were not publicly disclosed." In a new Visa promo spot, Ibrahimovic "holds up a jersey on which he has changed the 's' in VISA to a 'z,' and says, 'Zlatanized'" (FINANCE.YAHOO.com, 4/17).
THE GOOD STUFF: In Minneapolis, Jack White noted Minnesota United has signed a 10-year partnership with Bell Bank, which will "provide a $1,000 check to a player each match -- home and away -- next season." The bank, which was also "named a gate sponsor at United's new Allianz Field, gave a $10,000 check" to GK Matt Lampson's LampStrong Foundation as it officially announced the partnership. Each game's "man of the match" will "donate the check of $1,000 to a charity of his choice" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/18).
TEEING OFF: GOLFWEEK's Brentley Romine notes top-ranked amateur Joaquin Niemann will "make his pro debut this week at the Valero Texas Open, and he will do so playing Ping equipment and wearing Adidas apparel and footwear." He will "carry a Ping staff bag" as part of a multiyear agreement, and he is the "first 19-year-old to sign" with Adidas since Sergio Garcia did so in '99. Niemann "will wear Adidas headwear, apparel and footwear" (GOLFWEEK.com, 4/17).
THE TAKEDOWN: Ohio-based wrestling apparel company Rudis signed former Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder as an endorser. Rudis President Jesse Leng said Snyder has a "long-term deal" and added that he will "have a clothing and shoe line that launches online in two weeks." Snyder is the "only wrestler to win NCAA, World and Olympic championships as a college athlete" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/17).
