Asda has won the right to sell official World Cup merchandise next year after its parent company, Wal-Mart, made a deal with Fifa.
The deal by the world’s biggest supermarket chain means Asda will be the only discount retailer allowed to have “official event stores”, which will sell Fifa-branded footballs, cups, key rings, sticker sets and cuddly toys. It is working with Global Brands, the holder of the licence to make official Fifa products around the world, to sell the World Cup-branded goods.
It will also be able to give away hundreds of “golden tickets” to World Cup matches in South Africa to customers and staff.
This could give an advantage over rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s in the battle to win the £1 billion-plus that UK shoppers are expected to spend on World Cup-related purchases next summer.
Fifa is thought to have decided on Wal-Mart because of its sheer size — the supermarket owns about 8,000 stores in 15 countries including Brazil and Argentina, and made $401 billion (about £242 billion) in sales this year.
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The FA will conduct its own marketing campaign and England fans will still be able to buy their replica shirts at stores all over the country. England’s replica kit and merchandising has always been widely available and there are no signs that the English FA will follow Fifa’s lead.
The FA has a kit deal with Umbro, which is expected to launch a new range of shirts in March. The FA also has its own sponsorship deal with Tesco, the supermarket chain headed by Sir Terry Leahy, who is a member of the advisory board helping England’s 2018 World Cup bid.