Leandro Petersen, a key figure in the global expansion of Argentine football, serves as the Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). With a wealth of experience in international brand development, Petersen has been instrumental in elevating AFA’s global presence, driving strategic partnerships, and opening new markets.
Under his leadership, AFA has forged significant collaborations with renowned international brands and established a long-term vision to position Argentine football as a leading sports entity on a global scale. His efforts have been particularly impactful in the Middle East, where he has spearheaded initiatives to connect with fans, businesses, and sports institutions.
As AFA embarks on a new chapter with the opening of its Dubai office, Petersen’s expertise and strategic insights are poised to strengthen the association’s foothold in the region, paving the way for innovative projects and collaborations that highlight the excellence and heritage of Argentine football.
Below is the exclusive interview with Leandro Petersen, where he shares his insights on AFA’s strategic initiatives, the impact of their Dubai office, and the vision for Argentine football in the Middle East and beyond.
What impact do you expect the opening of the AFA office in Dubai to have on the international projection of Argentine football and the consolidation of its brand in the region?
We anticipate a significant impact from our Dubai office. Our involvement in the region spans several years, dating back to well before the Qatar World Cup.
We began traveling to the region in 2020 and 2021. Before the World Cup, we closed agreements with major companies like Fly Dubai and Mashreq Bank, which became sponsors of the Argentine national team in the Middle East region ahead of the World Cup. In fact, we arrived at the World Cup on a Fly Dubai plane, fully branded with the AFA logo, so this region is strategic for us.
This step we’re taking now, with the formal opening of our offices alongside Dune 23, is another step within this strategy that has been in place for several years. We have social media in Arabic, all content tailored for this market, and we will continue in this direction; traveling more, consistently making agreements with brands, creating content for this market, and increasing the presence of the A.F.A. brand.
Having permanent presence through our agreement with Dune23 and our offices gives us the ability to maintain greater continuity in the development of the brand, activations, and anything that can be done there on a permanent basis. I believe this gives us a distinct advantage compared to other brands.
You mentioned that the Middle East is one of the most important global markets. What makes this region so strategic for the AFA, and how do you plan to capitalize on these opportunities?
We began the global development of the AFA brand in 2017 with an initial phase in Asia, followed by a second phase in the United States and India, and a third phase in the Middle East, where we are building a long-term strategy to stay, not just because of the World Cup, but to establish ourselves as one of the most important sports brands, not only in football. We are working on several projects. We have a major agreement with Prestige One, the largest real estate holding in Dubai, which is a regional sponsor of the Argentine national team.
We are working on various agreements with important brands based on our most recent tour, during which we received the award at the Globe Soccer Awards as the most important brand in the world, and we will continue along this path.
The Middle East is undoubtedly one of the strategic regions for AFA in the coming years, and we believe there are plenty of opportunities, both economically and commercially, as well as in terms of audience growth, which we can develop there.
After the victory in the Qatar World Cup, what specific initiatives are being planned from the Dubai office to connect with local fans and businesses?
Regarding the initiatives, there are several we are considering. On the commercial side, we have various projects with Prestige One, such as creating a building named A.F.A. within their real estate developments, an AFA Tower. We are also talking to several academies to transform them into A.F.A. academies, as well as the possibility of opening our own training center.
Additionally, we are working with the United Arab Emirates Football Federation to train their coaches and executive staff so that football can grow with the expertise of A.F.A. professionals. We also aim to develop more commercial and sponsorship agreements to increase A.F.A.’s revenue from this region and, of course, continue to grow digitally, targeting audiences in the East.
The opening of this office in Dubai marks an important step, but there has also been mention of a future presence in Saudi Arabia. How will these two offices complement each other in your regional strategy?
Regarding Saudi Arabia, it is certainly a market that we will also address. We will soon be at Soccer X in Egypt, where AFA will be one of the main speakers at this important regional event. Shortly, we will be in Saudi Arabia, around March or April, for a commercial tour, meeting with companies from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi investment funds, and various sectors, as well as establishing a work agenda with clubs and the Saudi Football Federation.
It is undoubtedly an important market due to its economic size and the long-term investment they are making in football, especially with the World Cup they will host in 2034.
What types of alliances or collaborations are you seeking from this new office, both in the sports and commercial fields, to strengthen the relationship between Argentine football and the region?
Regarding partnerships, whenever we enter a new market, we approach it from two perspectives.
On one side, we focus on sports, with projects such as academies, coach exchange programs, youth player exchanges, and even referee exchanges. There is an agreement with Saudi Arabia, where Argentine referees are officiating in their league.
On the other side, we focus on commercial agreements, everything related to social media, audience growth, and media presence. Public relations are very important to us, as well as sponsorships. This same strategy was implemented in China, where we have over 10 commercial agreements and are number one in audience for e-commerce sales.
We are also considering developing our own e-commerce platform for the Middle East region. We have many projects that we have already proven successful in other regions, but the challenge is always adapting to a specific market like the Middle East, with its unique culture, mentality, and approach to football compared to other regions.
Considering these variables and differences, we always enter a market by studying and analyzing the local culture. Of course, the goals are both commercial and sports-related, aiming to contribute AFA’s expertise, training, and improvement of the sport in each region we enter.
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