Brand presence and sponsorship money likely to shrink as FIFA bans AIFF

Nearly 40-50 per cent of sponsorship money in football could be impacted, say media agencies

Fifa’s suspension of the Indian football federation this week has cast a shadow over investments by brands in the sport in India, with some stakeholders fearing the ban will effectively reduce sponsorship money by half.

For one, the Under-17 Women’s World Cup — which was slated to be held in October in Odisha, Goa and Maharashtra — will not be held according to the order by Fifa, the international football association, implying a missed opportunity for brands, media agency executives said. The second is the collateral damage to the larger football universe in the country, since it remains a keenly