Female soccer players demand that FIFA ends its ties with Saudi Aramco

In an open letter to FIFA on Monday, more than 100 professional women’s soccer players urged the world governing organization to sever ties with Saudi Aramco, an oil and gas corporation.

FIFA and Aramco inked a four-year agreement in April that will make Aramco a global partner, including in big competitions like the Women’s World Cup the next year and the 2026 World Cup.

Critics, including women’s rights organizations and LGBTQ people, accuse Saudi Arabia of using its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to “sportswash” its human rights record. In recent years, the kingdom has made significant investments in sports including soccer, Formula One, and golf.

The nation claims that its laws safeguard its national security and refutes claims of violations of human rights.

The players who signed the letter included former United States captain Becky Sauerbrunn, Canada captain Jessie Fleming, and Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema.

“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 wrote in their letter.

In order to assess the moral ramifications of upcoming sponsorship agreements, they also suggested forming a review committee with player representation.

FIFA made reference to how sponsorship income affects funding for women’s sports.

A FIFA representative stated, “FIFA values its partnership with Aramco and its many other commercial and rights partners.”

“With several business partners, FIFA is an inclusive organization that supports other football and sports groups.

“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.”

Aramco would respond to the letter as soon as possible, according to a spokesman.