With Aston Villa joining the roster, Visit Rwanda’s presence across Europe’s top leagues continues to grow. Below is a comprehensive look at the tourism board’s current and former partnerships with major European football clubs:
Arsenal (2018 – 2026)
Arsenal were the first Premier League club to partner with Visit Rwanda, signing a historic deal in May 2018 that made the East African nation the club’s first-ever official sleeve sponsor. The logo appeared on the left sleeve of the men’s, women’s, and academy teams’ matchday kits. Initially a three-year contract, the deal was renewed in 2021. According to reports, the sleeve sponsorship was valued at over £10 million per year (approximately $13.3 million).
In November 2025, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board jointly announced that they would formally conclude their eight-year partnership at the end of the 2025/26 season. Over that period, Rwanda paid an estimated total of $107 million to the club. During the collaboration, Rwanda’s tourism revenue surged by 47% to $650 million, underscoring the commercial impact of the association.
Paris Saint-Germain (2019 – 2028)
Following the success with Arsenal, Rwanda signed a partnership with French giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, naming Visit Rwanda as a “Premium Partner” of the club. The agreement includes prominent branding on team equipment and club facilities.
In April 2025, both parties announced a renewal of the collaboration, extending it through to 2028. Under the renewed terms, the Visit Rwanda logo will appear on PSG’s sleeve during this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. One of the partnership’s flagship achievements was the establishment of the PSG Academy in Huye, southern Rwanda, in 2020, which has provided elite football training to over 400 Rwandan youngsters. The partnership also features matchday branding at the Parc des Princes and promotional campaigns that serve thousands of cups of Rwandan coffee to fans in Paris.
Bayern Munich (2023 – 2028)
In 2023, Visit Rwanda secured a five-year agreement with German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The deal grants the tourism board prominent advertising space on the LED perimeter boards at the Allianz Arena, which seats 75,000 spectators, alongside extensive marketing activities to promote Rwandan tourism and investment opportunities.
In August 2025, both sides announced that the five-year partnership had entered a new phase, shifting from purely commercial sponsorship toward a collaborative model centered on talent development and youth engagement, running through 2028.
Atletico Madrid (2025 – 2028)
In April 2025, the Rwanda Development Board and La Liga side Atletico Madrid unveiled a three-year partnership agreement, running until June 2028. Under the arrangement, the Visit Rwanda brand appears on the front chest of Atletico’s men’s first-team training kits and warm-up jerseys—covering the remaining five La Liga matches of that season as well as the Club World Cup. Starting from the following season, the branding will expand to include the women’s first-team training kits and the back of official match jerseys for both squads.
Beyond branding, Rwanda was designated as the club’s official training partner, official tourist destination partner, and official coffee supplier. Atletico’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Óscar Mayo, stated that the collaboration marked a pivotal step in the club’s international expansion strategy.
To date, Visit Rwanda has partnered with Arsenal (2018–2026), Paris Saint-Germain (2019–2028), Bayern Munich (2023–2028), and Atletico Madrid (2025–2028). With Aston Villa now joining the fold, Rwanda’s global sports sponsorship portfolio has expanded significantly beyond football—the nation also signed long-term sponsorship agreements with the NBA’s LA Clippers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in 2025, making Visit Rwanda the first African tourism brand to sponsor teams across two major U.S. professional sports leagues.
