FIFA is expected to drop plans to make Visit Saudi a sponsor for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand following a backlash led by women’s players.
The Athletic reported in January that the gulf nation’s tourism board was set to be unveiled as one of the tournament’s sponsors.
A selection of figures in the women’s game, including Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, USWNT forward Alex Morgan and New Zealand defender Ali Riley, in addition to human rights campaigners, voiced concerns about the proposed sponsorship.
Hayes had labelled the proposed sponsorship “ridiculous”, Morgan called it “bizarre” and her U.S. teammate Megan Rapinoe described it as “totally inappropriate”.
The Australian and New Zealand football associations had not been consulted on the matter and were forced to write to FIFA for clarification.
Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has been described as “appalling” by Amnesty International. Homosexuality is illegal and women were not allowed to watch football matches until 2018.
Saudi’s Women’s Football League was founded in 2020 and FIFA’s own website reports “women’s football is rather new in Saudi Arabia”.
Speaking to The Athletic in February, Bonita Mersiades, the chairman of Women in Football Australia,
