18-07-2025
Barcelona soccer club inks DRC sponsorship deal to promote tourism
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has agreed to pay more than €40m (R828.5m) in a sponsorship deal with Spanish soccer club Barcelona that would see a logo promoting tourism appear on some team apparel.
This is according to a contract seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The contract with Barcelona is dated June 29 and stipulates a logo branding the war-hit central African country as the "heart of Africa" will appear on the backs of training and warm-up jerseys for the men's and women's teams.
The logo will also appear in advertising for the club and in the club magazine and annual report, the contract said.
The DRC will pay the club between €10m and €11.5m (R207m and R238.2m) annually over the next four seasons, it said.
Details of the deal between the DRC and Barcelona have not been announced.
AS Monaco and AC Milan last month also announced sponsorship deals with the DRC without disclosing the amounts.
DRC sports minister Didier Budimbu told Reuters the contract with AS Monaco is worth €1.6m (R33.1m) per season. He did not disclose the amounts for the contracts with AC Milan and Barcelona.
A DRC government source said the contract with AC Milan was worth €14m (R290m) per season.
Announcing the AC Milan deal on June 20, DRC tourism minister Didier M'Pambia said it was part of a government strategy "to reposition the DRC on the international stage as an undisputed leader on the African continent" by promoting tourism and investment opportunities.
The DRC's tourism ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday, while Barcelona told Reuters they had no comment at this time.
In February DRC foreign minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner urged football clubs Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain to end their "blood-stained" sponsorship agreements with "Visit Rwanda".
The appeal came less than a week after M23 rebels seized eastern DRC's biggest city, Goma, as part of a lightning advance.
Rwanda has denied backing M23, saying it is defending itself.
A report by a group of UN experts obtained by Reuters this month said Kigali exercised command and control over the rebels during their advance, gaining political influence and access to mineral rich territory.
