FIFA's new Club World Cup will feature a sponsored Hisense VAR system, though broadcast deals remain pending

FIFA announced its first sponsor for the revamped Club World Cup on Wednesday, with Chinese electronics company Hisense set to brand video review checks at the tournament in the United States next year. Hisense's branding will appear in the video operation room and on pitch-side screens whenever match officials conduct video reviews in the 32-team tournament, which is scheduled to run across 11 U.S. cities from June 15 to July 13.

This marks a first for FIFA, which has not previously secured a sponsor for video review technology since it was introduced before the 2018 World Cup. However, Hisense served as the official "VAR Screen Provider" for UEFA's European Championship held in Germany this year.

Despite securing this sponsorship, FIFA has yet to finalize broadcast deals for the Club World Cup, which will feature teams such as Inter Miami, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich. Talks for a global streaming deal with Apple+ stalled, and U.S. sponsors are reportedly more focused on the men's 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Saudi sponsors are anticipated to sign on soon, helping FIFA fulfill its pledge of substantial prize money for the tournament. Saudi Arabia is also expected to be confirmed as the 2034 World Cup host in December. 

FIFA stated that the Hisense deal "paves the way" for further sponsorships, although it did not disclose the deal’s value. Hisense, which first partnered with FIFA for the 2018 World Cup, renewed its sponsorship for the 2022 tournament in Qatar and has a history with UEFA dating back to Euro 2016, when Gianni Infantino was UEFA's general secretary.