Becky sauerbrunn

FIFA World Cup: Over 100 professional female footballers from 24 countries have called for an end to FIFA's sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest state-owned oil and gas company.

In April this year, FIFA signed a four-year global partnership with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned firm that will run until 2027 with rights across multiple events including FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.

The players from 24 countries in a letter said that FIFA’s announcement of Saudi Aramco as its major partner "has set us so far back" that it’s hard to fully take in. "Saudi Aramco is the main money-pump for Saudi Arabia, who have a track record of human rights violations against women and other minorities, including the LGBTQIA+ community."