Saudi Women’s World Cup sponsorship would be ‘disempowering’ for women

Former New Zealand international Maia Jackman said Saudi sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup would be in complete opposition to female empowerment and set back her work as an ambassador for the tournament.

Australia and New Zealand, co-hosts of this year’s World Cup, wrote to global soccer governing body FIFA on Wednesday seeking urgent clarification after it was reported that Visit Saudi will be named as a major sponsor of the tournament.

Jackman, one of FIFA’s  Beyond Greatness Champions, a team of women promoting the World Cup, said accepting Saudi sponsorship would be a disempowering message for women.

“FIFA have so much power to change the world for females. If the Saudi sponsorship goes to fruition, it would affect how people see the sport. It’s hard when we’re trying so hard to push things forward,” she said

FIFA and Visit Saudi have declined to comment on sponsorship of the World Cup but the prospect of a commercial tie-up has triggered outrage in the host countries.

Kate Gill, co-chair of players union Professional Footballers Australia, complained that players were not consulted on FIFA’s commercial decisions and the governing body was not meeting human rights commitments.

Saudi Arabia, named host nation of the 2027 Asian Cup on Wednesday, also has ambitions of hosting the World Cup in 2030 as well as the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026.

Ibrahim Al Kassim, the secretary general of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, said on Wednesday that although his body was not involved in sponsorship deals, such moves were a part of his country’s new engagement with the world.

“Saudi Arabia is opening to the world. Saudi Arabia is reaching out to the world, just to show the world what Saudi Arabia is capable of,” he told Reuters at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) congress in Bahrain.

“As you might have seen, Saudi Arabia has been hosting so many competitions, and so many sports.”