(Reuters) – A group of over 100 professional women’s soccer players on Monday sent an open letter to FIFA urging the world governing body to end its partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco.
In April, FIFA signed a four-year deal which will see Aramco become a worldwide partner, including in major tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup and the Women’s World Cup the following year.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sports like soccer, Formula One and golf in the last few years while critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, accuse the kingdom of using its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to “sportswash” its human rights record.
The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema, Canada captain Jessie Fleming and ex-United States skipper Becky Sauerbrunn were among the players to sign the letter.
“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,” the players said in the letter.
They also proposed setting up a review committee with player representation to evaluate the ethical implications of future sponsorship deals.
FIFA pointed to the impact of sponsorship revenues on investment in the women’s game.
“FIFA values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners,” a spokesperson for FIFA said.
“FIFA is an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners also supporting other organisations in football and other sports.
“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 2023 Women’s World Cup and its groundbreaking new distribution model.”
A representative for Aramco said they would provide a response to the letter at the earliest opportunity.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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