The second-largest dairy producer in China, said it was in talks with the football leadership to sponsor the Qatar World Cup in 2022, seeking to strengthen its brand and gain an edge over its competitors.

China Mengniu Dairy was the official sponsor of last year’s World Cup in Russia, investing 1 billion yuan ($ 149 million), which significantly increased brand recognition and revenue.

“Last year, although we did not offer any discounts, sales still grew by 14 percent. This is a very strong growth. In previous years, we had to offer various discounts, and despite this, we still could not achieve such a high level of growth, "said Lu Mingfang, executive director of the company. Sponsorship of the World Cup helped Mengniu generate revenue of 68.98 billion yuan in 2018. , which is 14.7% more than in the previous year.

The company enjoyed exclusive rights to sell yogurt drinks and ice cream at stadiums and created several special products, including soccer ice cream. Before the World Cup advertising campaign, none other than Lionel Messi, the greatest player in the world, spoke.

Chinese companies dominated the official sponsorship of the 2018 FIFA World Cup - Vivo smartphone giant and Hisense refrigerator maker joined Mengniu as three of the tournament's five sponsors. Collaborating with Fifa is part of Mengniu’s overseas business expansion strategy, leading to significant double-digit export growth its products over the past five years.