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Key Points
- Football Australia and New Zealand Football said they were not consulted on the Visit Saudi sponsorship deal.
- FA chief executive James Johnson said the partnership does not align with the tournament’s vision.
- Former players and human rights activists have criticised the deal.
Both FA and New Zealand Football said last month that they had not been consulted by FIFA after reports that Visit Saudi will join international brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa as major sponsors.
‘Overwhelming consensus’
FIFA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Football Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson said the Visit Saudi partnership for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 does not align with the collective vision for the tournament. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
Initial reports of the sponsorship deal were met with stinging criticism from several quarters including former players and human rights activists.
Former Australia international and media pundit Craig Foster said the deal would be “disgraceful in the extreme” while veteran US World Cup-winning forward Alex Morgan said it ‘morally’ did not make sense.
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