Women soccer players call on FIFA to cut ties with Saudi oil giant Aramco

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — More than 100 soccer players from the women’s game have signed an open letter to FIFA, urging the sport’s world governing body to end its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil and gas company Aramco.

In April this year, FIFA announced a four-year global partnership with the majority state-owned oil giant, giving it sponsorship rights to the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The letter, signed by over 125 current and former players from across the world, called the deal a “stomach punch” for the women’s game, citing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

Published on advocacy group Athletes of the World’s website, the letter was signed by several high-profile players such as Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema and former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn.

“The Saudi authorities trample not only on the rights of women, but on the freedom of all other citizens too,” the letter, addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said.

“Imagine LGBTQ+ players, many of whom are heroes of our sport, being expected to promote Saudi Aramco during the 2027 World Cup, the national oil company of a regime that criminalises the relationships that they are in and the values they stand for?”

Homosexuality is officially illegal in Saudi Arabia, though last year, the kingdom said that it welcomes LGBTQ tourists.

When asked about the open letter, a FIFA spokesperson told CNN Sport the governing body “values its partnership with Aramco and its many (other) commercial and rights partners.”

It added: “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 Women’s World Cup 2023 and its groundbreaking new distribution model.”

Former Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod was one of those to sign the open letter, and told CNN Sport on Thursday she was disheartened by FIFA’s response.

“[FIFA] talk about being inclusive and I just don’t see that. They’ve obviously made their choice again, they’ve prioritized money over the rights of human beings,” she told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.

“It’s greed, it’s power and unfortunately when FIFA does this, in my opinion, it gives permission, it gives licence to other federations to do the same thing.”

Aramco declined to comment when reached by CNN.

CNN has reached out to Saudi Arabia for comment.

Saudi Arabia has previously pushed back on allegations of “sportswashing,” which involves countries using high-profile sporting events to project a favorable image of their country around the world, often to draw attention away from alleged wrongdoing.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said he doesn’t “care” about the country’s investments being described as sportswashing.

“Well, if sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by one percent, then I will continue doing sportswashing,” the crown prince said in an interview with Fox News which aired in 2023.

As well as human rights concerns, the open letter questions Aramco’s environmental impact on the planet, saying the company is “one of the corporations which is most responsible for burning football’s future.”

Saudi Aramco is the world’s biggest oil and gas company by revenue, value and production volume. Last year, it produced an average of 12.8 million barrels of oil a day, far more than any other company. US oil and gas companies combined, however, produce more than Saudi Arabia, according to a 2023 analysis from the US Energy Information Administration.

“Grassroots football across the world is being smashed by extreme heat, drought, fires and floods, but as we all pay the consequences Saudi Arabia rakes in its profits, with FIFA as its cheerleader,” the player letter reads.

The company already has existing partnerships within Formula 1 and women’s golf.

Aramco says on its website that it has a “commitment to protect the environment” while meeting “our goals of greater efficiency and cost competitiveness.”

In late-2021, the company released its first emissions target, promising to achieve “net zero emissions by 2050.

Last year, though, independent think tank Carbon Tracker called Aramco the “world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitter” and said it “has the weakest climate pledges among major listed oil and gas companies.”

“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 letter concludes.

“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.”

In its statement to CNN, FIFA said its Congress approved “seven standing committees for the women’s game at all levels, including the Women’s Players Committee” back in May.

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CNN’s Aleks Klosok contributed reporting.