Arsenal FC and Airwallex unite in global deal

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Image credit: Luthfi Syahwal / Shutterstock.com

Arsenal FC has entered a multi-year deal with Airwallex, appointing the global financial services platform as its Official Finance Software Partner.

Airwallex will serve as the Presenting Partner for Arsenal’s men’s pre-season tour across eastern Asia. Their technology will support the tour’s operations, with both organisations working together long-term to enhance Arsenal’s payment systems and explore new areas of collaboration.

Airwallex was founded in 2015 by CEO and CO-Founder, Jack Zhang and three entrepreneurs who started a coffee shop in Melbourne to explore global retail trends. While sourcing supplies internationally, they faced costly and inefficient foreign exchange and banking systems.

Instead of viewing these as obstacles, they saw an opportunity to develop a better solution. This led to the creation of Airwallex, transforming how businesses handle cross-border payments and financial operations.

By 2024, Airwallex had expanded its operations to process AUD 153 billion (USD 100 billion) in transactions annually, with a customer base exceeding 100,000 and nearly AUD 766 million (USD 500 million) in yearly revenue.

Airwallex will have access to Arsenal’s men’s and women’s first team branding and will create exclusive, engaging content for fans during matches at Emirates Stadium across both the Premier League and Women’s Super League.

Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Juliet Slot, highlighted the new partnership marks more than just a business deal, it’s a shared vision for innovation, growth, and global connection.

“We’re delighted to welcome Airwallex to our Arsenal family, and to introduce them to our Gooners around the world on our upcoming men’s tour to Asia. They share our values, our ambition to grow, and our ambition to win,” she said via club statement.

“We look forward to working together with them closely over the coming years to drive efficiencies across our commercial operations, supporting our growth and fuelling the investment that will bring us sustained success.”

As Airwallex continues to redefine the future of financial technology, Jack Zhang Co-Founder and CEO of the payment group, sees Arsenal as an ideal partner to support its mission.

“Partnering with Arsenal is a proud moment for Airwallex. We are building the future of global finance, and that means working with brands and businesses that are committed to global reach, excellence and innovation – all attributes that are deeply embedded at Arsenal,” he said via press release.

“Whether it’s helping the club save time and money in their day-to-day financial operations, or creating a smoother payments experience for supporters enjoying the football experience, we believe this collaboration will create real value for football, for businesses, and for aspirational people all around the world.”

This alliance builds on Airwallex’s continued global momentum, expanding its presence across Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and the Americas. It follows a recent funding milestone that further underscored the company’s strong position and ambitious growth plans.

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Arsenal FC announce Saint Lucia as new destination partner

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Image credit: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority

Starting in the 2026/27 season, the deal will see Saint Lucia become Arsenal‘s Official Destination Partner.

 

Global reach of a football giant

As one of the most popular clubs in the world, Arsenal’s influence expands far beyond the boundaries of North London.

And with its latest partnership, alongside the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), the reigning Premier League champions will help to promote the Caribbean island to the UK market.

Furthermore, the agreement will see additional benefits for both parties, including the development of an Academy Hub in Saint Lucia, brand visibility at the Emirates Stadium for both Premier League and Women’s Super League games, and more.

“We are entering an exciting term as Arsenal’s Official Destination Partner, aligning with a club that has a loyal, global supporter base,” said Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage, Dr. Ernest Hilaire via media release.

A partnership extending from one side of the Atlantic to the other, uniting communities through football.

 

Sport and culture go hand-in-hand

This isn’t the first time, however, that Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has ventured into the commercial world of global sport.

In the past, for example, the organisation built firm relationships with several other iconic outfits including the New York Yankees (baseball), Toronto Raptors (basketball), Toronto Maple Leafs (ice hockey) and Brooklyn Nets (basketball).

But with an iconic club like Arsenal the latest addition to the lost, it further proves that sport, culture and commerce are by no means seperate entities.

In fact, in a deal such as this, all three can grow and thrive.

Arsenal are one of several clubs to establish ties with tourism boards and destination groups across the world. Notable partnerships include:

  • Manchester City and Visit Abu Dhabi
  • Fulham FC and Visit Mongolia
  • Manchester United and Visit Malta

Exposure for international tourism boards at Premier League grounds holds immense economic potential, thus a key aim in the alliance between Saint Lucia and Arsenal is to drive the island’s economy through tourism.

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