July 15 – Aston Villa has agreed a reported £20 million per season, three-year shirt sponsorship with Visit Rwanda, who will replace Betano on the front of the club’s shirts.
Visit Rwanda will be designated the club’s Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider.
Rwanda branding will appear on the front of all men’s, women’s and academy teams’ shirts, as well as around Villa Park and on the club’s online platforms.
The club said that the parternship “will be the most important sponsorship deal in the history of the football club”.
Francesco Calvo, president of business operations, said: “This is a very exciting partnership and a symbol of the club’s continuing expansion and growth into international markets.
“There is a great range and depth of opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation and we are looking forward to working with Visit Rwanda to deliver meaningful activations through tourism, investment and sporting development.”
Visit Rwanda completed an eight-year sleeve sponsorship and tourism partnership with Arsenal at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Villa and Visit Rwanda said they will “collaborate on a number of initiatives focused on football and coaching as well as charitable and leadership initiatives and professional development opportunities.”
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said: “This sponsorship is a powerful expression of Rwanda’s ambition to engage global audiences through one of the world’s most influential platforms and position our country as a destination to visit, invest and do business. Bringing together the Land of a Thousand Hills and the City of a Thousand Trades celebrates a shared commitment to enterprise, innovation and ambition… Through this partnership, we aim to deepen the connection with those already considering travel to Rwanda, whether for tourism, investment or business events, all while contributing to the long-term growth and development of the football ecosystem in Rwanda.”
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