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SINGAPORE, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has announced its partnership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™ as its Official Global Supporter. This marks the first partnership between Visa and AFC Women's Asian Cup, further building on Visa's long history of commitment towards the growth in women's football.
Hosted in Australia, the matches will be played in five stadiums across three cities with the top 12 national teams. The semi-finalists from this 27-match tournament will directly qualify for FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 in Brazil, while quarter-finalists will advance to the qualifying rounds for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Danielle Jin, Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Visa, said, "At Visa, we believe in the power of sports to inspire, unite, and drive progress. Our partnership with the AFC Women's Asian Cup reaffirms our commitment to inspiring the next generation of female athletes. As we have seen from the record-breaking momentum of women's football, the future of the game is bright, and we are proud to be part of that journey."
Women's Football Fuels Regional Growth in Sports Tourism
Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing sports tourism region globally, projected to reach USD491.7 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 18.4%[1]. Markets like Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore are seeing rising participation and viewership, driven by increased regional demand for live sporting events – especially football.
AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said: "We are delighted to announce the expansion of our partnership with Visa, who we now welcome as an Official Global Supporter of the Continent's premier women's national team competition. The AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™ aims to be the greatest ever edition in the tournament's history, and we look forward to working in close collaboration with Visa to realise our shared ambitions for the growth and empowerment of the women's game across Asia."
Visa is one of the world's most active sponsors of women's football; it is the first ever standalone sponsor of UEFA Women's Football in a seven-year deal running from 2018 until 2025, and the first Global FIFA Women's Football Partner.
Pre-sale Ticket access for Visa cardholders
Pre-sale ticket access opens exclusively to Visa cardholders today, Friday, July 18 at 8:00 AM SGT, with general sales beginning Friday, July 25 at 8:00 AM SGT via Ticketmaster - womenasiancup2026.
| [1] Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) - Asia Pacific Sports Tourism Market Size & Outlook, 2030 |
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About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.