FIFA has officially revealed its first sponsor for the restructured Club World Cup, which is set to take place in the United States next year. The announcement was made on Wednesday, highlighting a partnership with the Chinese consumer electronics company Hisense, which will feature branding during video review checks at the tournament.

According to FIFA, Hisense's branding will be visible in the video operation room and on pitchside screens as match officials review critical incidents during the 32-team tournament, scheduled from June 15 to July 13 across 11 American cities.

Historically, no FIFA tournament has had a sponsor for video reviews since the technology's introduction prior to the men's 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, Hisense served as the official "VAR Screen Provider" for this year's UEFA European Championship held in Germany.

With less than eight months until the Club World Cup kicks off—featuring Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the opening match and teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich making their competitive debuts in the U.S.—the tournament has secured its first sponsor but still lacks broadcasting agreements.

FIFA's negotiations for a global streaming partnership with Apple+ have stalled for several months, while U.S. sponsors are primarily concentrating on deals related to the men's 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada and Mexico.

Anticipation surrounds the imminent signing of Saudi Arabian sponsors, which will assist FIFA President Gianni Infantino in delivering on commitments to clubs regarding substantial prize money for the tournament, projected to reach hundreds of millions of dollars every four years. FIFA is expected to announce Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup on December 11.

The agreement with Hisense is expected to open the door for additional sponsorship opportunities for FIFA's premier club competition in the near future, as stated by the organization.

FIFA did not disclose the financial details of the agreement finalized with Infantino during a signing event in Shanghai.

Video reviews of referee decisions on significant incidents—such as goals, penalty calls, and red cards—can take up to two minutes, despite FIFA's initial goal during trials in 2016 to complete checks in approximately 10 seconds.

Hisense initially became a FIFA sponsor for the 2018 World Cup and subsequently renewed its partnership for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The manufacturer of televisions and laptops also established its first sponsorship agreement with UEFA while Gianni Infantino was still serving as the general secretary of the European football governing body, prior to Euro 2016.

For the revamped Club World Cup, Europe will be represented by 12 teams, which will include continental champions and clubs that have consistently performed well in these competitions over the four seasons from 2020 to 2024.

Countries are restricted to two entries unless at least three teams have secured continental titles during the four-year qualifying timeframe. This regulation resulted in the exclusion of Liverpool, Leipzig, and Barcelona, all of which were among the top 12 teams in Europe’s Champions League.

In a surprising move, FIFA awarded the entry reserved for the host nation’s champion to Inter Miami this month, based on its regular season performance, rather than waiting for the MLS Cup final scheduled for December 7. This decision guarantees Lionel Messi's participation.

The tournament draw is anticipated to take place in early December, following the confirmation of the final entry after the Copa Libertadores final in South America on November 30.