Sports
Visa Raises Global Investment in Women’s Football
Heading into the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, Visa has announced an expanded commitment to women’s football, leveraging the brand’s sponsorship platform to inspire women athletes amidst the global gender equality and women’s empowerment movement.
“Sport presents a huge opportunity for women to pursue their dreams on and off the field,” said Lynne Biggar, chief marketing and communications officer, Visa. “Women make the vast majority of consumer purchases and start millions of small businesses a year. By making a substantial investment in women’s initiatives, including soccer, Visa is celebrating this powerful global force.”
Visa’s newest investments include supporting Women’s Soccer in the United States and Beyond; and partnership with United States Soccer Federation.
Visa has entered a five-year sponsorship agreement with the world leader in women’s soccer, the U.S. Soccer Federation, to contribute to its long-standing investment in the development of women’s soccer and support the U.S. Women’s National Team through 2023.
The support of U.S. Women’s Soccer complements Visa’s global investment in women’s soccer through partnerships with UEFA Women’s Football and Visa’s longstanding partnership with FIFA, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018.
Visa will be the presenting sponsor of the SheBelieves Cup, which was started in the run-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, a four-team women’s international team tournament played in the United States each year.
The tournament is based around U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves initiative, focused on inspiring young girls and women to accomplish their goals and dreams. The agreement between U.S. Soccer and Visa was facilitated by Soccer United Marketing (SUM), U.S. Soccer’s partner for the past 15 years.
“We are incredibly excited Visa is partnering with us on our overall mission to become the preeminent sport in the U.S.,” said Jay Berhalter, chief commercial officer, U.S. Soccer. “With Visa joining us in our long-term investment in women’s soccer, we will continue to increase opportunities for women players, coaches and referees at all levels. Overall, we are looking forward to Visa helping us reach our mission by increasing participation, developing world class players, coaches and referees, and increasing fan engagement.”
“Soccer United Marketing is proud to facilitate this multi-year partnership between U.S. Soccer and Visa,” said Jen Cramer, senior vice president, SUM. “We are always looking to establish partnerships with iconic, forward-thinking brands who are committed to advancing the game and developing female leaders for the next generation both in athletics and business. This exciting relationship between Visa and U.S. Soccer will elevate soccer’s popularity to even higher levels in North America, especially in advance of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™.”
Also, Visa is launching a new U.S. marketing campaign celebrating the U.S. Women’s National Team. The centerpiece is a new ad spotlighting stars Mallory Pugh, Becky Sauerbrunn, Rose Lavelle, Jessica McDonald, Abby Dahlkemper and Adrianna Franch as they attempt to earn a fourth star by winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ title. The ad provides a glimpse into the players’ hard work and determination as they strive to achieve greatness on the world stage this summer. This builds upon Visa’s new global ad campaign, “One Moment Can Change the Game,” focused on elevating women in sports.
“My teammates inspire me in so many ways every day,” said Mallory Pugh, United States Women’s National Team Forward. “I am so proud to be part of Visa’s campaign which celebrates athletes the way we are and showcases the magic moments on the field. Visa’s campaign is another incredibly empowering message for women and girls.”
At the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, Visa is the presenting sponsor of the Player of the Match, celebrating women soccer players. Soccer fans worldwide will have the opportunity to vote on FIFA.com for their favourite player for each of the 52 matches during the tournament. Players can be selected for their outstanding performance – amazing play, display of sportsmanship, or some other moment on the field.
The Player of the Match, Presented by Visa, trophy is designed to celebrate and create an opportunity for fans to have a voice and contribute to the growing recognition of the women in soccer across the world.
Team Visa Expansion
Visa’s roster of Team Visa athletes is expanding, as 18 new women’s soccer players from 16 countries will join Team Visa. They include: Ellie Carpenter (Australia), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Nadia Nadim (Denmark), Lucy Bronze (England), Fran Kirby (England), Nikita Parris (England), Eugenie Le Sommer(France), Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany), Laura Giuliani (Italy), Shanice vd Sanden (Netherlands), Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway), Ewa Pajor (Poland), Kim Little (Scotland), Ramona Bachmann (Switzerland), Alexia Putellas (Spain), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden), Didem Karagenç (Turkey) and Megan Rapinoe (United States).
Since the beginning of the Team Visa program in 2000, on average fifty four percent of Team Visa have been women, including the newly announced 18 women soccer players from around the world. The program has supported more than 400 athletes and aims to provide athletes with the resources needed to achieve their goals on and off the field.
Visa Everywhere Initiative: Women’s Global Edition
On the opening day of the tournament on June 7, Visa will host the finals event for its first global competition focused on celebrating women entrepreneurs who are making strides in Fintech and Social Impact around the world. Twelve finalists from six regions will pitch their solutions for a chance to win the grand prize of $100,000 per challenge.
Uplifting Women from the Field to the Boardroom
Visa’s support for women goes beyond the playing field. Ninety four percent of women in the C-suite have played a sport at some time in their lives.1 Given the correlation between success in sport and business, Visa is a catalyst for supporting and championing women in all facets of life. Visa’s investment in women’s soccer globally builds on Visa’s initiatives that support women entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“As a leading sponsor of women’s soccer and advocate for female empowerment, Visa is dedicated to accelerating the growing support of the game, on and off the field,” continued Lynne Biggar, chief marketing and communications officer, Visa. “From championing professional players and celebrating their stories, to tapping into the strength of the Visa brand and elevating the game’s visibility across the world, Visa’s commitment to women’s soccer is here to stay.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
The start of a football season always tricks people a little. Everything looks fresh. New shirts, new signings, clean tables, confident managers, fans talking themselves into hope again. Then the first few matches arrive, and half the predictions start wobbling. That is what makes early-season betting interesting. It is not tidy yet. Manchester City may still be Manchester City, but that does not mean they are sharp from the first whistle. Arsenal might look strong on paper and still need time to settle. Chelsea can have another summer full of noise and still leave bettors guessing. Real Madrid might have the stars, but even stars need minutes together. The first weeks are not about certainty. They are about spotting who is ready before the market fully catches up.
New Signings Need Time
Transfer excitement can make people rush. A new striker arrives at Arsenal and suddenly every goals market feels tempting. Manchester United sign a defender and people start talking about clean sheets. Chelsea add another expensive player and the same old question comes back: does this actually fix the team, or just add another name? Sometimes a signing changes everything quickly. More often, there is an awkward stage first. A forward needs to learn where the passes come from. A midfielder needs to understand the press. A centre-back needs to build trust with the goalkeeper and full-backs. That is why early-season betting after the Betway app download should not treat a new signing like a finished answer. The name matters, but the fit matters more.
World Cup Legs Will Matter
This season also carries the weight of the World Cup. Some players will come back flying. Some will come back flat. Some may start the season with managed minutes because their clubs cannot afford to burn them out early. That can change player markets fast. A bettor looking through the betway app before a weekend card should not only check the famous names in the lineup. Look at who played deep into the World Cup, who missed pre-season, who came back late, and who is being protected by the manager. A star on the pitch is not always a star at full speed.
Early Tables Can Lie
The first league table always looks more dramatic than it is. One big club drops points, and everyone starts asking if there is a crisis. One promoted side wins at home, and suddenly people talk about momentum. A striker scores twice, and the golden boot conversations begin before anyone has really learned anything. That noise can be useful, but only if bettors do not get swallowed by it. Early results need context. Did the team actually play well, or just finish two chances? Did they control the game, or survive pressure? Was the opponent missing key players? Did the manager rotate because of fitness?
Patience Beats The Big Prediction
The new season will settle. The strong teams will usually rise, the weaker squads will get exposed, and the table will start to make more sense. But the opening weeks are different. They are full of strange fitness levels, overhyped signings, tired stars and teams that are still trying to remember what they are meant to be. That is why betting on the upcoming season should start slowly. Do not fall in love with last season’s form. Do not trust every transfer story. Do not assume every World Cup star is ready to carry club football straight away. The value is often hiding in the messy part, before everyone else agrees what the season really looks like.
