BEIJING - Chinese smartphone giant Vivo has rolled out smartphones tailor-made for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia as part of its sponsorship campaign for the global sports event.

The limited edition smartphones, the V9 Blue for overseas market and X21 Extraordinaire Edition for Chinese mainland, have a cover, user interface and some functions designed using features of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The smartphones will be used by staff working onsite at the event, according to Franck Guignery, head of sales at FIFA, adding the organization is excited by the prospect of engaging Chinese fans on a level never seen before as China is experiencing a surge in interest in football.

Vivo signed a six-year sponsorship agreement with FIFA last May allowing it to sponsor two world cup events, in 2018 and 2022. Sponsorship of major sporting events and leagues has contributed to Vivo's growth in China and has facilitated its global expansion, according to Denny Deng, brand vice president of Vivo.

The customized smartphones are part of the company's "My Time, My FIFA World Cup" campaign, which also includes two other interactive activities to engage football fans and consumers across the globe.

The Vivo SuperFan photographers' programme will recruit 128 football fans, consumers, and special guests worldwide who are passionate about photography to document extraordinary moments of the event via special close-up access. The Vivo SuperTime project will feature music-themed activities including an unprecedented joint theme song performance at the closing ceremony of this year's FIFA World Cup.

As the one and only smartphone sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Vivo hopes to bring its cutting-edge technology to the public and empower them to go beyond being just an audience member at the match and become a participant, a creator, and to enable extraordinary moments to be seen, shared, and remembered, Denny Deng said.

Founded in 2009, Vivo has become one of the fastest growing domestic smartphone brands thanks to its focus on sound quality and photography, and popularity among young people. The company started to venture overseas in 2014 and has expanded its presence in over 370 overseas cities with over 200 million users worldwide.