This past April, soccer’s governing body, FIFA, announced a landmark partnership and sponsorship deal with the Saudi Arabian Oil Group, Aramco. Owned almost entirely by the Saudi Arabian government and the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), this collaboration between FIFA and Aramco marks another milestone in FIFA’s continued relationship with the nation. Saudi Arabia is also set to host the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2034, solidifying the country’s growing presence in global soccer.

Women’s soccer’s biggest names fought back against the deal in the wake of the Saudi government’s continued mistreatment and repression of women and minority groups, such as the male guardianship system, imprisonment of women’s rights activists, and criminalization of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

These players claim that FIFA is continuing to assist Saudi Arabia in “sportswashing,” a tactic used by repressive governments and corporations, which aims to distract the eyes of the public from controversies through the promotion of sport. 

In a letter to FIFA, 130 players, including Canadian legend Jessie Fleming and the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer Vivianne Miedema came out strongly against the partnership. They expressed feeling let down by people who were supposed to be looking out for the players’ best interest, and that the sponsorship with Aramco went directly against many causes that women’s football players were passionate about. The players cited Aramco’s massive levels of emissions, the continued oppression of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and the state-sponsored restrictions against Saudi Arabian women as reasons why this sponsorship is antithetical to the continued growth of women’s soccer.

In an era where the growth of women’s soccer outpaces many other sports, fans and players see the Saudi deal as a step in the wrong direction. The letter rightly points out the deal was made by 37 decision-makers, of which only eight are women. Male decision-makers are not at risk of being affected by the Saudi government’s regressive policies, and some of the main stakeholders—women—are typically excluded from the decision-making process. It is an indictment on FIFA and its leadership that the requests of their players are not being heard or acted on. It would be in the sport’s best interest for FIFA to cease relationships with a government that is antithetical to the best part of soccer: Inclusivity. From the No Room for Racism campaign to the Rainbow Laces project, players and fans frequently stand up for marginalized communities. Soccer’s leaders, however, show no such inclination, to the detriment of the sport and its players.

Aramco CEO and President Amin H. Nasser explained in a press release that the partnership with FIFA attempts to use the power of sport to make global impacts and develop the game of soccer. This has been a trend not just in world soccer, but also in many other international and well-recognized sports. The controversial PIF-owned LIV Golf League aims to compete with the PGA Tour to be the foremost golf competition in the world, while a PIF-led financial takeover of Newcastle United F.C. in the English Premier League sparked outrage from fans. Additionally, one would be hard-pressed to watch a Formula 1 race without spotting Aramco advertisements scattered throughout the circuit. In fact, Aramco is the main title sponsor of the Aston Martin F1 Team.

When Nasser speaks of “harnessing the power of sport,” he is not being disingenuous. The end goal of this sportswashing is to use the global adoration of sports to continue to normalize the behaviours of the Saudi Arabian government by injecting its finances and advertising into the sports and teams fans hold so dearly. Normalization will continue as eyes are pulled away from domestic issues within Saudi Arabia. FIFA has made the decision that abuses against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, oppression of women, and poisoning the planet are acceptable in the name of financial gain and brand recognition. They simultaneously profit off of the popularity of women’s soccer and the oil money of a nation whose laws oppress women daily. By pointing out the hypocrisy of this decision, players are taking a brave stand against financial interests, and hopefully FIFA will follow suit.