The upcoming AFC World Cup is about to get more exciting as, like the recently held Super Bowl, it is partnering with a food delivery platform – only, it isn’t as huge as Uber Eats.
Instead, AFC’s officials chose a lesser-known brand, that is, Keeta, though it is owned by China’s dominating food delivery platform, Meituan.
The official position of Keeta for the Asian Football Confederation World Cup is its Official Global Supporter, though the contract of the deal is only covering the event’s qualifying competition.
Like FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation is a governing institution in association football, beach soccer, and futsal in several countries and territories in Asia. It is organizing their own World Cup.
Datuk Seri Windsor John, the general-secretary of the AFC, said, “We are delighted to welcome Keeta to our family of valued partners, and we look forward to working with them to create more engaging and historic moments for our passionate fan base of Asian football.”
So, what is Keeta? Keeta brands itself as a platform that helps people “eat better” and “live better.” Several merchants are partnered with Keeta, such as McDonald’s, Maxim’s MX, KFC, Yoshinoya, Pacific Coffee, Hung Fook Tong, and so much more. It launched in 2023 in Hong Kong and has also expanded over to Saudi Arabia, part of the Middle East, where a lot of companies are tied up with football, such as Emirates.
Keeta’s partnership with the AFC qualifiers will commence this March 20th, the time the qualifiers resume for matchday seven, bringing Keeta into the heart of one of Asia’s largest football competitions.
The deal will have Keeta taking charge of delivering the match ball to the pitch prior to key features. This partnership is expected to promise the freshest fan engagement initiatives, aiming to turn the qualifiers into the much larger spectacle.
“Football has the power to unite people, and at Keeta, we’re excited to be part of that energy. Partnering with the AFC allows us to connect with fans in a meaningful way while delivering a seamless food experience that complements the thrill of the game,” said Tony Qiu, the CEO of Keeta. “We look forward to engaging with audiences through special promotions and activations that bring together two universal passions—great food and great football.”
Patrick Murphy, the chief executive officer of the Asia Football Group, added he is “delighted to welcome Keeta as an Official Global Supporter of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26.”
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