You’ll be seeing a lot more of Pele, the three-time World Cup champion, between now and the FIFA World Cup Soccer Championships to be held in Japan and South Korea in the Summer of 2002.  Pele has been MasterCard’s exclusive World Cup spokesman since 1991, and has recently signed on as official spokesman for his third consecutive World Cup. He’ll be appearing on MasterCard advertisements and promotional materials, and will be making numerous personal appearances on behalf of MasterCard and the World Cup.  

MasterCard will be the exclusive payment card sponsor of the World Cup.  This means all card account access devices such as credit and debit cards, ATM cards, and telephone cards.  They’ll also receive global rights to use the FIFA World Cup official marks, logos and designations in advertising, promotions and merchandising. Worldwide, there is a projected television audience for this sporting event in excess of 50 billion.

MasterCard will issue a total of eight World Cup card designs that will be available to cardmembers globally over the next four years, with two designs unveiled each year.  One of these designs will feature Pele and the other will commemorate the 2002 FIFA World Cup.  The first two cards in the series were recently released: one featuring Pele performing a spectacular bicycle kick at the 1965 World Cup, and the second depicting a goalkeeper making a save, with the year 2002 highlighted in the background.

    If soccer’s your game, visit the Web site www.fifa.com for everything you always wanted to know about soccer, including the Calendar of Events through 2002.  You can apply online for a MasterCard at www.mastercard.com.