Over 100 professional women’s football players, including five Australians, have signed an open letter urging FIFA to drop its major sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco, a state-owned oil conglomerate.
In the letter published on Monday, 106 players from 24 countries called on FIFA to reconsider its partnership with Aramco, citing concerns over human rights violations, the oil giant is 98.5% owned by Saudi Arabia.
Among the signatories are Matildas stars Aivi Luik and Alex Chidiac, alongside Australian players Isobel Dalton (Perth Glory), Emma Ilijoski (Canberra United), and Winonah Heatley (Nordsjaelland).
The letter highlights how LGBTQ+ players are being asked to promote a company from a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised and also expresses concerns about the oil giant’s role in contributing to climate change.
FIFA signed a four year worldwide partnership deal with Saudi Aramco back in April, which includes rights across multiple major tournaments, including the World Cup 2026 and the Women’s World Cup 2027. It’s also expected that Saudi Arabia will win the bid for the 2034 Men’s World Cup, signalling no real change in FIFA’s morals.
The letter highlights multiple human rights violations against women, including fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi sentenced to 11 years in prison under ‘anti-terror’ laws for promoting female empowerment on social media, the week after the partnership between FIFA and Aramco was confirmed.
The letter also asks FIFA three important questions:
- How can FIFA justify this sponsorship given the human rights violations committed by the Saudi authorities?
- How can FIFA defend this sponsorship given Saudi Aramco’s significant responsibility for the climate crisis?
- What is FIFA’s response to our proposal of the establishment of a review committee with player representation?
However, FIFA have spoken to ABC Sport about this issue where they mentioned the deal was unlikely to be removed despite these recent events.
“FIFA is an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners also supporting other organisations in football and other sports,” the organisation said in a statement to ABC Sport.
“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.
“As well as the increased support for teams at the tournament last year, FIFA’s updated Women’s Football Strategy for 2023-2027 further highlights how commercial revenues are reinvested back into the development of the women’s game. FIFA’s financial figures are also published annually.”
This bold stand by the 106 players represents one of the most significant pushbacks women’s football has seen against a major sponsor. It’s inspiring to witness how outspoken these athletes have been, despite the powerful influence of such a controversial partner.
Women’s football, which has long faced neglect and inadequate playing conditions, has steadily improved as the game has grown, but it’s clear these players are not just content with progress—they’re pushing for greater accountability.
The sponsorship with Aramco, in light of its links to human rights abuses and its environmental impact, feels like a direct affront to the principles these athletes uphold.
Whilst FIFA currently remain quite hesitant to change this fact, there is momentum growing behind this movement and it’s the only way change will be brought to the game.
