Women’s soccer players criticize FIFA’s partnership with Saudi Aramco over human rights, environmental concerns

More than 100 international women’s soccer players are calling on FIFA to review its sponsorship of Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, in an open letter to the FIFA president.

Calling it “the middle finger to women’s football,” the 106 players who signed the letter said that human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, particularly for women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, are against the sport’s principles of equality and inclusion.

The athletes’ letter, sent to CBC News ahead of its official release, insists that gay players, “many of whom are the heroes of our sport,” are particularly at risk of persecution in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is considered a crime.

The players also expressed concern about the oil company’s impact on the environment.

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest oil producer. It is 98.5 percent owned by Saudi Arabia.

FIFA’s agreement with Saudi Aramco, announced in April, runs until 2027. We include sponsorship for both the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2026 and 2027.

Other major FIFA partners include companies such as Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa.

In response to the letter, FIFA said it has stopped funding.

“FIFA greatly values ​​its partnership with Aramco and its many other commercial and rights partners,” the organization said in a statement.

Saudi Aramco has not responded to CBC News’ requests for comment.

Funding ‘makes no sense’

Among the signatories are Team Canada captain Jessie Fleming and former Team Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod.

“[Saudi Arabia] he has a bid for the 2034 World Cup and thinking about someone like me, even going to watch those games is not going to be possible,” McLeod told CBC News.

McLeod, who is openly gay, is married to Icelandic footballer Gunny Jónsdóttir. The couple recently welcomed a new baby into the family.

“I think it goes back to FIFA being an extremely powerful organization. What responsibility do they have to back up what they said? They have publicly stated their position on human rights,” said McLeod.

Denmark’s national team player Sofie Junge Pedersen, one of the signatories of the letter, contacted female soccer players around the world regarding this issue.

“We think it’s absurd that we, as female soccer players, are asked to raise our shirt, Saudi Aramco as a sponsor,” Junge Pedersen told CBC News.

“The violation of human rights there, the discrimination against women by the independent Saudi authorities,” he said from his home in Milan, where he plays for Inter Milan.

“It is absurd and I am very shocked that we are being asked to do that when these are not our values ​​and they are not FIFA’s own values.”

Ensure funding, players ask FIFA

In an open letter, the signatories asked FIFA to drop the funding and explain how the governing body could justify its initial decision to sign the deal.

“In taking Aramco’s sponsorship, FIFA is choosing money over the safety of women and the safety of the planet and what we as players are against, together,” wrote current Team Canada’s Jessie Fleming.

A third concern for players is Saudi Aramco’s impact on the environment.

In the letter, the players wrote: “This sponsorship is worse than the goal of football: FIFA could pour oil on the field and set it on fire.”

The players are also asking FIFA to respond to their request to create a player review committee to represent the players regarding funding decisions.

FIFA did not respond to those demands, instead noting that “sponsorship income generated by FIFA is put back into the game at all levels and investment in women’s football continues to grow.”

The soccer federation says on its website that it is “committed to respecting all universally recognized human rights and will strive to promote the protection of these rights.”