Whichever winning team lifts the World Cup trophy at the end of this summer’s tournament, their medals will be delivered to them by a group of Qatar Airways flight attendants.
It already happened at the 2018 edition in Russia and then again in Doha following the final there in 2022, thanks to Fifa’s Tier 1 global partnership deal with the Gulf airline.
There’s a certain irony to this given that during his first presidential term in office, Donald Trump sought to curb the airline’s growing influence, as well as that of Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways.
State-owned, Qatar Airways has long been subsidised by the country’s government, not least during the pandemic when it received a $2 billion bailout.
Trump felt that Arabian Gulf airlines had gained an unfair competitive advantage on routes into the U.S., which he addressed via measures including a laptop ban on passengers travelling on Gulf region carriers.
A deal was eventually struck between the administration and the airlines, though it serves as a reminder that sponsorship deals have a context and are not simply names that benignly appear on digital signage.
How Saudi Arabia Fits Into The World Cup Sponsorship Picture
FIFA’s array of global partners won’t be all bad news for the U.S., for instance Saudi Arabia’s state own oil corporation – Aramco – has close relations with the America and is one of biggest sponsors that soccer’s world governing body currently has.
In May 2025, Aramco signed 34 preliminary agreements with major U.S. companies worth up to $90 billion, including partnerships with Nvidia for AI infrastructure and ExxonMobil for refinery upgrades.
Aramco is also a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s larger commitment to invest nearly $1 trillion in U.S. infrastructure and technology, one element of which will see a $3.4 billion expansion of its Motiva refinery in Texas.
It should therefore be no surprise that Saudi Arabia’s national team will be based in Texas for the duration of their participation in the World Cup.
