Aston Villa has secured a new jersey sponsor starting with the 2026/27 season: According to British media reports, “Visit Rwanda” will be featured on the Villans’ jerseys. The partnership will bring the Birmingham club a lot of money—but likely also a lot of criticism.
As reported by the Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa has signed a long-term contract with “Visit Rwanda,” which is reportedly worth 20 million British pounds (about 23.5 million euros) per season. The logo will appear on the Villans’ jerseys starting with the 2026/27 season.
“Visit Rwanda” is a promotional campaign for the East African country of Rwanda, led by the “Rwanda Development Board” (RDB). The campaign’s goal is to establish the country as an international tourist destination and to attract foreign investment. Partnerships have been formed primarily with soccer clubs, currently including Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Bayern Scaled Back Partnership – Arsenal Ended Sponsorship
However, following fierce criticism, the German record champion has scaled back the partnership. English champion Arsenal had also been promoting “Visit Rwanda” since 2018 but ended the sponsorship at the end of last season following intense fan protests. “Visit Rwanda” has also signed contracts with franchises from the NBA (Los Angeles Clippers) and the NFL (Los Angeles Rams).
The “Visit Rwanda” image campaign is facing fierce criticism. One criticism is that the sponsorship wastes millions in taxpayer money that would be better spent on infrastructure and education in Rwanda itself, where a large portion of the population lives below the poverty line.
Equally serious is the accusation that the government is engaging in “sportwashing” through the campaign. International NGOs such as “Human Rights Watch” criticize the campaign for using involvement in the international sports business to divert attention from domestic abuses. Rwanda repeatedly faces international criticism for its failure to uphold human rights; among other things, fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press are not guaranteed, and political opponents of the government of long-time President Paul Kagame are said to have been systematically suppressed. In addition, Rwanda is accused of supporting the M23 rebel group in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, thereby hindering efforts to resolve the military conflicts in the border region between Rwanda and Uganda.
No advertising for gambling companies
Until the 2025–26 season, the name of the sports betting provider “Betano” was prominently displayed on Aston Villa’s jerseys. In April 2023, however, Premier League clubs decided to ban gambling advertisements from the front of their jerseys.
Aston Villa has just completed one of the most successful seasons in the club’s recent history: The Villans finished fourth in the Premier League and will therefore compete in the Champions League in 2026/27. They also won the Europa League final 3-0 against SC Freiburg, celebrating their first international title in 25 years. In 2001, Aston Villa triumphed in what was then known as the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
