A headache ahead for FIFA. A group of 106 professional female football players sent an open letter to the international body on Monday, October 21, asking it to end its partnership with Saudi Arabia's oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, signed last April. The list of signatories to the letter is not short of big names in women's football, including Manchester City's Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, Canada's national team captain Jessie Fleming, and former United States captain Becky Sauerbrunn. “We call on FIFA to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with other sponsors whose values are in line with gender equality, human rights and the secure future of our planet", insists the open letter. The signatories also ask FIFA to set up a commission composed of representatives of the players to evaluate the ethical implications of future partnership contracts. Faced with this protest, FIFA explained through a spokesperson that it " appreciated » its partnership with Saudi Aramco. “FIFA is an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners who also support other organisations in football and other sports, add FIFA. Sponsorship revenues generated are reinvested into football at all levels and investment in women's football continues to increase, particularly for the 2023 World Cup and its revolutionary new distribution model."
