Over 100 women footballers, including Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema and England’s Niamh Charles, have urged FIFA to reconsider its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil giant Aramco, calling it a “middle finger” to women’s football.
They describe the partnership, announced earlier this year for the next men’s and women’s World Cups, as “worse than an own goal.”
The signatories emphasize that Saudi authorities have jailed women for advocating for free speech and criticize FIFA for ignoring warnings about human rights violations related to the upcoming 2034 World Cup.
The players call for FIFA to replace Aramco with sponsors that align with values of gender equality and human rights.
They also propose the establishment of a review committee with player representation to assess the ethical implications of future sponsorships.
Miedema warned that if Aramco remains a sponsor for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, players may take further action, citing recent boycotts by teams in response to social issues.
Meanwhile, FIFA maintains that its partnership with Aramco is valuable and that sponsorship revenues are reinvested into the women’s game.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
