Arsenal will end its long-running sleeve sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda at the close of the 2025/26 season, bringing an end to a partnership that has sparked sustained criticism over the east African nation’s human rights record.
The Premier League leaders confirmed they will not renew the deal, which began in 2018 and made Visit Rwanda the club’s first sleeve sponsor in an agreement reportedly worth around UK£10 million (US$13.1 million) annually.
The move follows a report by The Athletic last month that suggested Arsenal had been in talks to extend the partnership, despite growing external and supporter pressure. The relationship has faced controversy for years, with critics pointing to Rwanda’s political climate and alleged rights abuses.
Arsenal said the decision to part ways was reached “by mutual agreement” and framed the move as aligned with Visit Rwanda’s “broader strategy to diversify its global sports partnerships and expand into new markets that support the next phase of its tourism and investment ambitions”.
Visit Rwanda has recently stepped up its presence in US sports, becoming the jersey patch sponsor of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and signing a partnership with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, owned by Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.
However, scrutiny of the Rwanda partnership intensified in April when the United Nations accused the country of supporting M23 rebels operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Gunners for Peace campaign group staged protests, while DRC foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner wrote to Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain urging them to end what she called “blood-stained sponsorship deals”.
While PSG have since opted to extend their deal with Visit Rwanda, Bayern Munich has refocused its partnership to emphasise development rather than promotion.
Arsenal supporters welcomed the club’s decision to walk away. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust said on X: “This is a welcome decision and reflects the views of our members in this survey, which was presented to the club at the last Arsenal Advisory Board meeting.”
Rwanda’s sponsorship model has inspired similar tourism-led strategies across Africa. The DRC has recently partnered with Barcelona, AC Milan, and AS Monaco, while the Republic of Congo secured its first football sponsorship this month with Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais.,
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