Latin America

Brazilian giant Santos has confirmed that its partnership with Umbro has ended and it has agreed a deal through to 2015 with a new supplier, widely reported to be Nike.

The 2012 Copa Kia do Brasil has bolstered its commercial portfolio by recruiting Centauro as a new sponsor of the competition.

Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup have become a “personal dossier” of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, as world football’s governing body again expressed its concerns over the weekend at the rate of progress.

Soccerex has announced that its Global Convention will return to Rio de Janeiro next year from November 24-28.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stated that Brazil’s 2014 World Cup will utilise technology to prevent “phantom goals” affecting games.

Former FIFA president Joao Havelange has resigned from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) just days before he was due to face an ethics commission hearing over his role in the infamous International Sport and Leisure (ISL) case.

Ronaldo has stated he wants to make the Brazilian people “feel proud” after being confirmed as one of three members of the new 2014 FIFA World Cup local organising committee (LOC).

Ricardo Trade revealed the next steps in Brazil’s preparations to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup on day two of the Soccerex Global Convention 2011 in Rio de Janeiro.

Aldo Rebelo, the recently-appointed Brazilian sports minister, cast aside doubters at the opening ceremony of the Soccerex Global Convention 2011 in Rio de Janeiro by bullishly asserting that Brazil will be ready to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) announced on Saturday that it had struck a two-year agreement for Rio de Janeiro, the home of the 2016 Olympics, to become the official tourism destination of the ATP World Tour.

Visa and McDonald’s have signed up as official supporters of the Soccerex Football Festival, which will kick off the Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro later this month.

Pele has admitted the delays Brazil is facing in its preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup are “scary”, but has stated his confidence that the country will deliver.

The PGA Tour has sealed a six-year contract extension with Mayakoba Golf Classic officials to stage an annual event at Playa del Carmen near Cancun in Mexico.

Soccerex has announced the addition of Rick Dudley, president and CEO of Octagon Worldwide, as a featured speaker at the Global Convention on November 26-30.

The organising committee for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games has appointed the Cerimonias Cariocas 2016 consortium as the executive production company for live ceremonies and major events.

Flamengo has followed in the footsteps of FC Barcelona by agreeing a major partnership with Unicef.