Arsenal Football Club has announced it will conclude its prominent sleeve sponsorship with Visit Rwanda at the end of the 2025-26 season, ending an eight-year partnership. The decision to end the deal, reportedly worth over $13.3 million annually, was mutually agreed upon by both parties. While the club stated the partnership successfully met its original goals of promoting tourism to Rwanda and supporting Arsenal’s financial vision, the sponsorship deal had recently faced significant public scrutiny. Campaign groups like Gunners for Peace had protested the agreement, linking it to regional conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and urging the club to adopt a sponsor that better reflected its values. The decision to end the deal is celebrated by activists as a victory for fan influence, though the Visit Rwanda brand will maintain a strong presence in sports through its ongoing deals with other major clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid.
BBC
