FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FIFA To Terminate Visit Saudi As Official Sponsors of Women’s World Cup

In response to complaints from the hosts Australia and New Zealand, FIFA is considering terminating Visit Saudi’s sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup.

Also, players pleaded with FIFA to forbid a nation that criminalizes same-sex relationships and has not yet grant women complete equality from sponsoring their tournament.

FIFA has forged closer ties with Saudi Arabia in recent years, and the Saudi tourist board was prominently displayed on sponsor backdrops for the Club World Cup in Morocco and the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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But, the football associations of Australia and New Zealand objected to FIFA more than a month ago, claiming they were uncomfortable with Visit Saudi as a sponsor due to issues with rights and a lack of consultation.

In advance of the tournament’s start in July, FIFA has informed Australia and New Zealand that it is amenable to finding a resolution to the disagreement.

This remedy might now mean that Visit Saudi does not have the notable sponsorship it previously had at the recent men’s events.

FIFA has never openly stated plans for Visit Saudi to support the Women’s World Cup, but the event’s hosts reacted outrage upon learning of the potential sponsorship through reports.

Football Federation Australia CEO James Johnson told Sky News last month: “There’s been a lot of progression in Saudi Arabia over the past four or five years, but there’s still issues that in Australia don’t sit well with, particularly our girls and our women.”

Johnson stated in a statement that “we would not be comfortable” with the sponsorship in a new intervention on Monday.

According to New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell, there has been “some type of rethinking at FIFA about this issue.”

England, the reigning European champions, will compete to win their first Women’s World Cup when the competition, which has been enlarged from 24 to 32 teams for this edition, begins in July.

Saudi Arabia won’t be participating in the competition since their women’s national team has just been competing since last year and has not yet received a FIFA ranking.


Since 2021, Saudi Arabia’s PIF sovereign wealth fund has owned Newcastle United, giving the country its most prominent participation in football.

FIFA opted not to respond. The Saudi Arabian authorities made no comment.


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