Aston Villa Football Club has announced a landmark partnership with Visit Rwanda, naming the tourism brand as the club’s new Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner, and Official Coffee Provider in what the Premier League side describes as the biggest sponsorship agreement in its history.
The multi-year partnership will see the Visit Rwanda logo displayed on the front of shirts worn by Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams throughout the upcoming season. Beyond shirt sponsorship, the branding will also feature prominently across the club’s platforms and facilities, marking a significant milestone in Rwanda’s global tourism and investment promotion strategy.
The Athletic, citing sources within the club, reported that the partnership could generate as much as £20 million annually, positioning it among Aston Villa’s most valuable commercial agreements while expanding Rwanda’s global visibility through football.
The collaboration reflects Rwanda’s continued efforts to strengthen its international profile through sports partnerships, while also creating opportunities to promote tourism, attract investment, and expand business relationships with audiences across the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond.
Aston Villa said the agreement extends far beyond commercial sponsorship, with both organizations set to collaborate on a range of initiatives focused on football development, coaching education, charitable programs, leadership training, and professional development opportunities.
Francesco Calvo, Aston Villa’s President of Business Operations, described the agreement as an important step in the club’s growing international ambitions.
“This is a very exciting partnership for Aston Villa Football Club and a symbol of the club’s continuing expansion and growth into international markets,” Calvo said.
He added that the partnership offers extensive opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange in tourism, investment, and sports development, benefiting both the club and Rwanda.
For Rwanda, the partnership reinforces the country’s long-term vision of positioning itself as a leading destination for tourism, conferences, investment, and international sporting events.
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said the sponsorship demonstrates Rwanda’s ambition to connect with global audiences through one of the world’s most influential sporting platforms.
She noted that the collaboration brings together “the Land of a Thousand Hills” and “the City of a Thousand Trades,” reflecting shared values of innovation, enterprise, and ambition.
According to Karemera, the partnership builds on eight years of successful engagement with UK audiences through the Visit Rwanda campaign and is expected to expand Rwanda’s visibility across Europe and other international markets.
She said the initiative aims to encourage more visitors, investors, and business event organizers to consider Rwanda while also supporting the long-term growth of football by creating development opportunities for players, coaches, and sports professionals in the country.
The announcement represents another major milestone in Rwanda’s sports diplomacy strategy, which has seen the country partner with internationally recognized football clubs to promote its tourism industry while showcasing its economic transformation, investment opportunities, and world-class hospitality.
The partnership is also expected to strengthen cultural and sporting exchanges between Rwanda and Aston Villa through youth football initiatives, coaching programs, leadership development, and community engagement activities.
The club announced that fans who previously bought the 2026/27 home shirt will be able to add the Visit Rwanda branding at no cost by visiting Aston Villa’s official stores at Villa Park and the Bullring.
With millions of Premier League viewers tuning in every week, the partnership is expected to significantly increase Rwanda’s global visibility, supporting the country’s broader objective of positioning itself as a premier destination for tourism, investment, business, and international events while strengthening the development of football both in Rwanda and abroad.
