阿里宣布冠名世俱杯

The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in Tokyo tomorrow, and ahead of the competition a press conference will be held this afternoon. There is speculation in Chinese media that e-commerce giant Alibaba is vying to get the naming rights of the tournament.

Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma could be looking to make a difference in Chinese football after his group purchased half of Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande. There is hope for Alibaba to obtain naming rights for the Club World Cup as Toyota ended their cooperation with the event last year.

If Alibaba is successful, China would also have the chance to hold the tournament after 2017.

The Japan Football Association has confirmed next year's competition will be held in the country. Evergrande will take on Mexico's Club America in their first match Sunday. If it wins, it will face European champion Barcelona in the semifinals.