Barcelona seals €220m shirt sponsorship deal with Rakuten

Japanese retailer Rakuten will be the name on the front of FC Barcelona's shirts next season after the two signed a sponsorship deal on Wednesday.

Barcelona, one of the world's most iconic sports teams, will wear Rakuten's name on their jerseys starting from the 2016-17 season, with the deal ending in 2020.

Stars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar will bear the Japanese company's name, in Rakuten's latest attempt to gain a foothold in the global market after long-term success in the domestic market.

The Catalan club had been searching for a sponsor after its previous partnership with Qatar Airways was due to expire last season, before being renewed for an additional one year.

Earlier this year "Barca" signed a kit agreement with Nike, in which the US sportswear provider would pay €150m-€155m per year, compared to the current figure of €60m.

Club president Josep Bartomeu explained in a press release that the agreement puts Barcelona "at the forefront of sports club sponsorships, which have always been an objective for the current board."

For over 100 years the current La Liga holders refused to adopt a sponsor on the front of their shirts, before signing an agreement with Unicef in 2006, where the club donated €1m to the children's charity.

In 2010, for the first time, they were paid to advertise the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit organisation from the Gulf country.