Qatar Airways celebrates opening of FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019

Qatar Airways, the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA, was delighted and honoured to have played a full part in the much-anticipated celebrations at last night’s kick-off of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™.

Included amongst the many activities supported by the airline ahead of the first fixture between host France and Korea Republic, was a specially designed Qatar Airways stand in the FIFA Fan Experience in Paris, Lyon and Nice. Spectators and supporters of all ages were invited to take part in a virtual goalkeeper competition and were given the opportunity to see some of the finest football free-stylers on the planet to the soundtrack of an amazing group of world-class drummers. Celebrating the tournament’s kick off were four lucky winners of Qatar Airways’ social media contest, ran in partnership with the FIFA Fan Match, where the prize was Business Class flights and match tickets for the spectacular opening ceremony.

Also present at the opening ceremony will be Jessica, a 17 year old female Brazilian footballer, whose journey from a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris is an inspiring story of hope. Not only did she attend the Opening Match but also Qatar Airways will fly her to Doha to visit ASPIRE and the Women’s Football Association. The airline will be filming this amazing story and releasing it on its social media channels.

The Opening Match also marks the launch of the 360 Fan Cam that offers a chance to win Business Class flights and match tickets to the Quarter Finals.

Commenting on the airline’s commitment to the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, Qatar Airways Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is honored to be supporting this incredible tournament. Women’s football grows from strength to strength and we proud to have played a small part in that development by being the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA. We are totally committed to supporting the women’s game and I invite all the fans who are travelling to France to join with us in celebrating the skill and perseverance shown by these incredible sports stars. As an airline, we believe in the power of sports to unite people, and we look forward to bringing fans together in France over the next month to witness the most exciting event in the 2019 calendar of women’s sports.”

In May the airline issued a new marketing campaign film supporting the competition, capturing the excitement of fans all over the world who will be watching the tournament as well as the thousands travelling to France to cheer their national team. The innovative film features a mother telling her daughter a wonderful bedtime story. It is a flight of imagination, in which she describes an amazing new land where women’s football reigns, where players rule and fans from many nations gather to cheer.

By the film’s end, we realise that mother and daughter are in fact onboard a Qatar Airways aircraft flying to the very destination she has been describing: a magical land, where the story of women’s football comes alive.

24 qualifying teams will compete in nine cities throughout France this summer, including Paris, which will host the Opening Match, as well as Reims, Valenciennes, Le Havre, Rennes, Grenoble, Montpellier, Nice and Lyon, which will host the Semi-Finals and the Final.

Throughout the competition there will be Qatar Airways-sponsored activities taking place across France as well as the UK and Germany giving supporters the chance to share the excitement.

In May 2017, the award-winning airline announced its ground-breaking sponsorship deal with FIFA, which saw it become the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA until 2022. The agreement also sees Qatar Airways become the Official Airline Partner of the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the FIFA Futsal World Cup, the FIFA eWorld Cup, and the FIFA Women’s World CupTM.

The airline’s partnership with FIFA builds on its existing sponsorship strategy with premier sporting clubs around the world. In 2018 Qatar Airways signed a five-year partnership agreement with leading German football team FC Bayern München AG, making the award-winning airline an FC Bayern München platinum partner until June 2023. The airline also recently revealed multi-year sponsorship agreements with Italian football club AS Roma, for which it will become the Official Jersey Sponsor through the 2020-21 season; and with Argentinian football club Boca Juniors, for which it will become the Official Jersey Sponsor through the 2021-22 season.