20th November 2025
November 20 – One of the most controversial sleeve jersey sponsorship deals in the Premier League has come to an end with Arsenal confirming that their eight-year partnership with Visit Rwanda will finish at the end of the season.
The deal, which made Visit Rwanda the club’s first sleeve sponsor, never sat comfortably with a section of the fanbase. In April, a supporter group launched a campaign to scrap the agreement, even putting up a satirical “Visit Tottenham” billboard outside the Emirates before a match against Crystal Palace.
Political and social issues were also a driving force in terminating the partnership. In February, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo urged Arsenal to drop the sponsorship after Rwandan-backed rebels seized the city of Goma, while Arsenal’s LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, Gay Gooners, welcomed the decision not to renew.
“As a group, we have been uncomfortable with the deal from the start and made significant representations to Arsenal through official channels since 2021,” the group said.
“In a survey of our 2,500+ worldwide membership in July, only 2 per cent of respondents thought the £10m-a-year Visit Rwanda sponsorship should be renewed. 86 per cent wanted the contract to end and a replacement found. Some members highlighted Rwanda’s record on LGBT+ human rights.”
Arsenal Chief Executive Richard Garlick thanked the Rwanda Development Board for the partnership and pointed to the progress made over the eight-year run.
“Our first-ever sleeve partnership with Visit Rwanda has been a significant journey,” he said. “Over many years, we’ve worked together to raise global awareness of Rwanda’s tourism and conservation efforts and built many new connections with our supporters across Africa.
“The commitment and support of Visit Rwanda throughout our partnership has played an important role in driving forward our ambitions… We thank the Rwanda Development Board for their partnership and what we’ve delivered together.”