Barcelona has signed a sponsorship deal with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As a result, the Spanish club will feature the slogan “R.D. Congo – Coeur d’Afrique” (Heart of Africa) on the back of their training shirts. The agreement is expected to last for four years.
Through this sponsorship, Barcelona will earn a total of €44 million.
Previously, the Rwandan government secured similar deals with Arsenal, PSG, and Atletico Madrid, gaining international recognition through the “Visit Rwanda” sponsorship campaign.
However, Rwanda faced accusations of supporting M23 rebel activities and using sports as a tool to rehabilitate its image, which led to significant public backlash against these agreements.
Barcelona made the following statement regarding the new deal:
“This agreement signifies a shared commitment to fostering multi-sport development within the DRC, and as part of this collaboration, the club will contribute to enriching the training of the country’s young athletes by transferring its ecosystem of values, an indisputable pillar of the Barça model and style.”