Women soccer players call on FIFA to drop Saudi Aramco as sponsor

PARIS (AFP) — More than 100 female professional soccer players from 24 countries have called on the sport’s governing body FIFA to end its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil giant Aramco, citing human rights issues and treatment of the LGBTQ+ community as well as environmental concerns.

In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the players said the “Aramco sponsorship is a middle finger to women’s football,” as the sport is known in much of the world.

FIFA brought Aramco, 98.5% owned by the Saudi state, on board as a major sponsor earlier this year in a deal that runs through to 2027, a period during which there will be the men’s and women’s World Cups — in 2026 and a year later.

The oil giant’s sponsorship, the players argued in their letter, was “much worse than an own goal for football.”

“FIFA might as well pour oil on the pitch and set it alight. Our job as professional players has been a dream for us and is a dream for the girls who will be the players of the future,” the players wrote. “We deserve so much better from our governing body than its allyship with this nightmare sponsor.”

The signatories of the letter included the likes of Manchester City’s Dutch international Vivianne Miedema, Inter Milan’s Sofie Junge Pedersen, former U.S. captain Becky Sauerbrunn, as well as Jessie Fleming, Elena Linari and Doris Bacic, respectively skippers of Canada, Italy and Croatia.

“Saudi authorities have been spending billions in sports sponsorship to try to distract from the regime’s brutal human rights reputation, but its treatment of women speaks for itself,” they said.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sport in recent years, with the Gulf State’s Pro League snatching big names from the major European leagues thanks to the backing of the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

However, the kingdom has been accused of using major events to “sports wash” its human rights record.

The players’ letter concluded: “We urge FIFA to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet.

“We also propose the establishment of a review committee with player representation, to evaluate the ethical implications of future sponsorship deals and ensure they align with our sport’s values and goals.”

A FIFA spokesperson told AFP, however, that the body “values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners.”

“FIFA is an inclusive organization with many commercial partners also supporting other organizations in football and other sports,” the spokesperson said. “Sponsorship revenues generated by FIFA are reinvested back into the game at all levels and investment in women’s football continues to increase, including for the historic FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and its groundbreaking new distribution model.”

The spokesman added: “As well as the increased support for teams at the tournament last year, FIFA’s updated Women’s Football Strategy for 2023-2027 further highlights how commercial revenues are reinvested back into the development of the women’s game.”

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By Agence France-Presse