Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s sports unit said that its discussions with FIFA "on becoming a top-level sponsor of the World Cup hinges on more Chinese involvement in the world’s most-watched sporting event," according to BLOOMBERG. Alibaba Sports Group CEO Zhang Dazhong confirmed talks with FIFA on Wednesday. If it makes the multi-million dollar commitment, Alisports, as the company is known, "would become FIFA’s second Chinese sponsor" after Dalian Wanda Group pledged its support in March to the "scandal-plagued football governing body" until '30. Zhang: "We are discussing with FIFA about the sponsorship issue. What we hope is that there will be more matches to be held in China and the country can participate more to boost the Chinese football market." Since President Xi Jinping made football success a "national priority," China has made plain "its desire to host the FIFA World Cup." Under FIFA regulations, the earliest China could host the tournament would be '30. Alibaba is "already a sponsor" of FIFA’s Club World Cup (BLOOMBERG, 9/8).
