The Argentine Football Association (AFA) and Bangladesh's mobile financial services provider bKash Ltd on Monday announced a partnership to promote further financial inclusion through sports.
With this brand endorsement initiative, bKash becomes the first and only Bangladeshi brand partner of the reigning and three-time FIFA World Cup champion, Argentina national team, read a press release.
During the 2022 World Cup, Argentina received unprecedented support and warmth from Bangladeshi fans as always. Following that excitement of the greatest show on earth, the World Cup champion now endorses bKash which embodies the spirit of human aspiration.
After years of support for Argentina National Football Team worldwide, the AFA has devised diverse brand expansion programmes in countries like Bangladesh, India, China and Middle East. Due to its dependable and trustworthy reputation, bKash has been a natural match for AFA. Both institutions have won the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis and will now be a bridge between die-hard football fans and their favourite superstars like Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Julián Alvarez, Emi Martinez - just to name a few.
For millions of Bangladeshis, their enduring love for football lives with their magical experience of watching Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers in history, play and win at the FIFA World Cup.
Football fans and users of bKash will now be able to gain invaluable experiences and feel closer to the superstars they love. This partnership is the expression of the trajectory and greater scope of the Argentina National Football Team and bKash.
The mobile financial services brand bKash caters to 70 million people in Bangladesh with its diverse range of services, becoming an integral part of the lives of millions. On Monday, this brand joined hands in this exciting journey of empowerment and financial inclusion through sports, the release added.
AFA President Claudio Fabian Tapia said, “The Argentina National Football Team has felt throughout the World Cup the strong and passionate support of the Bangladeshi community. We are very delighted to have bKash, an emblematic Bangladeshi FinTech company, as the first regional brand partner of the Argentine Football Association.
"A true milestone of financial inclusion has been achieved in Bangladesh through bKash. This collaboration will take us closer to new regions where our National Football Team has millions of fans. We welcome bKash as the first regional brand partner of Argentine Football Association in Bangladesh,” he said.
Kamal Quadir, founder and CEO of bKash, said, “Football is a sport that unites the world towards empowerment and entertainment. As part of this, the classical Argentine football and their star-studded squads have been mesmerizing the world with their skills, rhythm and sportsmanship. The strong support of the Bangladeshi fans for the Argentine National Football team in the 2022 World Cup has earned global admiration. Similarly, the resilient growth of Bangladesh has also earned global recognition.
“With the relentless commitment of our passionate people to push for robust growth, Bangladesh is on its way to becoming a trillion-dollar economy. In light of these aspirations, Bangladesh's most loved brand bKash is excited to collaborate with the world's top football team Argentina and players like Lionel Messi. This partnership will explore new opportunities of solidarity through sports and entertainment while helping to tell the inspiring story of Bangladesh to the world in an immersive and emotional way,” he added.
AFA Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Leandro Petersen said, “Throughout the last five years we have established a strategic view and goal for our Argentine Football Association, recovering international prestige and world-wide commercial attractiveness, this regional brand partnership with bKash is the outcome of dedicated team work and a clear direction in where AFA puts its focus.
“The global expansion of the AFA brand, in markets such as China, India, Middle East and now Bangladesh is a fact. Fans and bKash users will be closer to the players they love, thanks to the efforts of a leader brand like bKash. We are pleased to announce that bKash has become the first regional brand partner in Bangladesh's history. It is our mission to work together and strengthen this partnership and continue generating new opportunities and interactions with international brands at the level of bKash. The AFA and bKash will jointly promote each other and develop actions that will increase the synergy and power of their brands.”
