Saudi PIF named official supporter of 2026 World Cup

Saudia Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Thursday signed a partnership with FIFA to become an official tournament supporter in North America and Asia of the upcoming World Cup.

The PIF partnership incorporates the fund's different companies, "the Savvy Games Group, Saudi Arabia's national and global champion for games and esports, and Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia's future capital of entertainment, sport and culture".

Throughout the June 11-July 19 tournament, "PIF and its companies will deliver unforgettable experiences and drive innovative fan engagement initiatives to connect with the football community on the world's biggest stage", the fund said in a statement.

As an official tournament supporter, having signed for an undisclosed fee, PIF is among the third category of FIFA partners, at a regional level.

The top level of sponsors includes the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa, but also, since 2024, Saudi oil giant Aramco.

The second category brings together businesses from the three host countries of the US, Mexico and Canada.

"PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth," PIF official Mohamed AlSayyad said.

The next World Cup in 2030 will be spread out between Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with three matches in South America. Saudi Arabia will then host the 2034 edition.

PIF last month announced its 2026-2030 strategy would reorganise the fund's investments.

The announcement came as the kingdom and wider Middle East has been upended by the ongoing war in the region.

One of the first casualties was LIV Golf, with PIF saying it was cutting funding for the breakaway golf league.

Iran says no US visas issued yet for 2026 World Cup

Iran's football federation chief on Thursday said no visas had yet been issued for the national team to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, state media reported.

"Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us guarantees, because the visa issue has still not been resolved," the state news agency IRNA quoted federation chief Mehdi Taj as saying.

"We have not received any account from the other side regarding who has been granted visas. No visas have been issued yet," he added.

According to Taj, the players were expected to travel to the Turkish capital Ankara for fingerprinting as part of the visa process.

"The players must travel to Ankara for fingerprinting, but we are trying to arrange for this to be done in Antalya so there will be no need to travel to Ankara," he said.

Iran held a send-off ceremony on Wednesday for the national football team as it prepared to play in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Iran's national team, also known as TeamMelli, will be based in Tucson, Arizona during the World Cup.

The Iranians open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before lining up against Belgium and Egypt in Group G.

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