Fifa earlier this year signed a 2027-term relationship with the Saudi state-owned enterprise, which grants the company sponsorship rights to the 2026 World Cup for men and the 2027 Women’s World Cup for women.
The players, who are from 24 different nations, have urged FIFA, the world governing body, to reevaluate the agreement for environmental and humanitarian reasons.
One of the signatories is Vivianne Miedema, a striker for Manchester City. The Netherlands player stated to Sport: “I believe it is our duty as football players, and particularly as women’s football players, to demonstrate to the world.
This sponsorship, in my opinion, goes against both what Fifa and we female football players stand for.
FIFA consistently emphasizes their desire for the game to set an example and be inclusive. If that’s the case, then you should align yourself with sponsorships that set an example.
Sport was informed by Fifa that it “values its partnership with Aramco” and emphasized that sponsorship profits were used to support women’s competition at all levels.
