The giant real estate Wanda, tycoon Wang Jianlin, first Chinese partner of FIFA

Chaired by tycoon Wang Jianlin , which is a shareholder of Atletico Madrid, real estate multinational Wanda has become the first Chinese company that is part of the six main partners sponsors of the International Federation of Football Associations ( FIFA ). The agreement, which was presented on Monday in Beijing and will last until 2030, will give this property giant China the same visibility in the World Cup than the other major sponsors: Adidas , Coca-Cola, Visa, Hyundai-Kia and Russian Gazprom.

It also demonstrates the passion of football Wang Jianlin, which last year bought 20 percent of Atletico Madrid for 45 million euros. "Football is the most popular sport because the World Cup has more viewers than the James Olympic " said the businessman, who is the richest man in China with assets of 26,000 million dollars (24,000 million euros). As explained by Wang himself, "Wanda was able to enter one of the largest partners of FIFA for the last cases of corruption, which have led to some of their previous eight major sponsors to withdraw certain leaders as they fell." Within the economic and sporting boom in his country, he moved that "next year there may be two other Chinese companies as partners of FIFA , " but did not disclose which ones.

Meanwhile, David Chung , vice president of FIFA, said that this agreement "is important to grow soccer in China and Asia , " which, being the region's most dynamic and populated the planet, it seems like a juicy cake to which a bite. No one is aware that, after taking the next two World Cups to Russia and Qatar, FIFA 's next target will be Asia, and particularly China, as a major emerging market to conquer.

In their favor will feature not only with this partnership with the powerful tycoon Wang Jianlin, but also with the support of President of China, Xi Jinping, a renowned forofo that has been proposed revitalize football in his country after corruption scandals they sank into the mud a few years ago.

Besides owning part of the mattress club, Wang Jianlin has the emblematic building of Madrid Spain . 

His intention is to reform for accommodating a hotel, a shopping mall and offices, but its future is unclear for the reform of the facade, which wants to tear down even though the City Council does not allow it to be protected. 

His real estate company was also interested in building in the Madrid area were rumors Camp and even buying holiday resort Marina d'Or , but both projects are still in the air.

source photo: PABLO M. DÍEZCorresponsal En Pekín