Football governing body FIFA could abandon plans for Saudi Arabia鈥檚 tourism arm to sponsor the women鈥檚 World Cup after a backlash from co-hosts Australia and New Zealand and key players.
The mooted deal is yet to be acknowledged, more than two months on from the initial story.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the scale of the protest has shocked FIFA.
Last week leaders of the two host鈥檚 national football federations warned in a letter to FIFA, including president Gianni Infantino, that unilaterally sealing the 鈥淰isit Saudi鈥 sponsorship could 鈥渟everely tarnish the reputation鈥 of the 32-nation tournament that starts in July.
That is despite the tourism brand being endorsed by men鈥檚 World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi, who was announced last year as a paid pitchman.
Such a confrontation between a World Cup host and FIFA is unprecedented in recent history, and is likely to shine more attention on so-called 鈥渟portswashing鈥 investments by Saudi Arabia.
鈥淲e write to express our serious disappointment and concern at the news of the apparent appointment of Visit Saudi as a sponsor,鈥 Chris Nikou of Australia and New Zealand鈥檚 Joanna Wood wrote Wednesday in the letter to FIFA seen by The Associated Press.
鈥淲e cannot express strongly enough the potential repercussions and fallout that could result of this decision.
鈥淎ustralia and New Zealand, both as sovereign nations and as football associations, have for decades placed the utmost importance on gender equality, and have sought to promote these ideals around the world,鈥 the letter said, reminding FIFA their governments have invested hundreds of millions in the soccer event.
Tournament organisers and government officials in both countries were said not to have been consulted, they claimed, nor offered the chance to make a counter proposal for a domestic tourism campaign.
Wood is among the few women to lead one of FIFA鈥檚 211 member federations and also an elected member of FIFA鈥檚 ruling council which Infantino chairs.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia has made progress in women鈥檚 football in the past three years creating a national team and a domestic league, plus preparing a bid to host the 2026 Women鈥檚 Asian Cup.
In Saudi society, however, women鈥檚 freedoms are limited by strict male guardianship laws.
鈥淲hile we acknowledge some important and positive gender equality reforms have commenced in Saudi Arabia, it remains undeniable under any reasonable standard that the rights of women remain severely restricted,鈥 the Women鈥檚 World Cup hosts wrote to FIFA.
The 鈥淰isit Saudi鈥 campaign was among more than 30 sponsors at the men鈥檚 World Cup in Qatar last year.
FIFA did not formally announce that deal which became apparent through pitchside advertisements when the games started in November.
The Women鈥檚 World Cup is to be played July 20-Aug. 20. The United States is defending its title in the first edition of the marquee tournament expanded to 32 teams.
It will also be the first test of FIFA鈥檚 policy to separate broadcasting and sponsor deals for the Women鈥檚 World Cup from the men鈥檚 event. That was intended to give independence to women鈥檚 soccer and prove it had its own commercial value.
Infantino previously defended the women鈥檚 tournament in October, when he used the platform of the finals tournament draw in Auckland to criticize broadcasters for making offers for rights that FIFA deemed unacceptably low.
- With AP
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