World Cup Woes: The Disappointing Reality of the Visit Saudi Sponsorship Proposal
We have some good women’s soccer news for you to hear. FIFA has finally decided to drop the controversial Visit Saudi sponsorship following backlash. While this is a great step, it is still disappointing that this sponsorship was discussed in the first place.
We can argue that if it weren’t for the pushback the sponsorship received, FIFA would have moved forward with it. Therefore, we are thankful that soccer players and football federations spoke up about what would have been an unfortunate event. Here are the events that led to this relieving moment.
The Backlash From Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia
The beginning of the controversy surrounding the Visit Saudi sponsorship was the possibility of such a deal. The deal doesn’t align with the beliefs of female soccer players and their federations regarding human rights–the country has rigid restrictions on the rights of women and LGBTQ+.
What made matters even worse was the fact that FIFA didn’t consult Australia and New Zealand before discussing the deal. This was enough to urge the federations to intervene and show their dissatisfaction.
Bonita Mersiades, the chairman of Women in Football Australia, told The Athletic, “The proposed Visit Saudi sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup is yet another example of FIFA’s and world football’s hypocrisy when it comes to their stated values versus where the money comes from.”
Mersiades continued by saying, “On the one hand, they have a policy which espouses respect for women and LGBTQI rights, amongst others, and on the other hand, they have no compunction in accepting big sponsorship dollars from an organization representing a nation that neither shares those values nor respects those rights.”
The U.S. Soccer Federation Showed Concerns
While New Zealand and Australia spoke up due to their co-host status, U.S. Soccer also showed their concerns over the Visit Saudi sponsorship. This unity is what soccer players need during times like this.
To voice their concerns, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) said in a statement, “U.S. Soccer strongly supports human rights and equity for all and believes in the power of our sport to have a positive impact.”
“While we cannot control how other organizations manage sponsorship selections for the tournaments we compete in, we can voice our concerns and will continue to support our players,” USSF added.
This support was similar to the statement issued by Football Australia chief executive James Johnson earlier this month.
“While we await further clarity and information as to the details of the partnership from FIFA, we continue to convey this clear message on behalf of Football Australia, New Zealand Football, and our community,” Johnson said.
Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Others Speak Up
The entire situation is disappointing, but there are some positive parts. One of them is witnessing soccer players sticking together.
While several federations spoke out against the Visit Saudi sponsorship, soccer players didn’t stay silent. One of the first players to speak up was Alex Morgan, who expressed her opinion while speaking with the media during the SheBelieves Cup.
“I think it’s bizarre that FIFA has looked to have a ‘Visit Saudi’ sponsorship for the Women’s World Cup when I, myself, Alex Morgan, would not even be supported and accepted in that country, so I just don’t understand it,” Morgan said.
The ending of Morgan’s statement was exactly what all of us wanted to say, “I really hope that FIFA does the right thing. I mean, pretty much everyone has spoken out against that, because morally, it just doesn’t make sense.”
We are glad that Alex Morgan wasn’t the only player to express her opinion, as Megan Rapinoe shared hers too by saying, “I think [the sponsorship is] totally inappropriate. If they want to do, like, a 20-year-long women’s empowerment project and in 2043 sponsor a World Cup, that would be something.”
“If they thought for one second that this would be a good sponsor for women’s tournaments, outrageous. I think Alex said the other day, like Alex Morgan couldn’t exist in Saudi Arabia, the way that she does in America and the world or on the global stage,” Rapinoe added.
Along with Morgan and Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn also said regarding the Visit Saudi sponsorship, “And it’s just really disappointing that I think FIFA keeps putting us in the position where we have to speak on things like this, and there seems to be a bit of a pattern. So yeah, we’re talking about it, we are upset. We don’t think that is the greatest sponsor to be promoting a women’s competition. There are definitely things still going to be discussed. But right now, it’s a lot of disappointment.”
We Shouldn’t Be Having This Battle
While the dropping of Visit Saudi sponsorship is something to be celebrated, we are still disappointed.
It’s disappointing because this battle shouldn’t have existed in the first place. But yes, it is a victory that FIFA didn’t move forward with the sponsorship. But why is there the possibility of a loss in the first place?
We are allowed to be disappointed and stay angry. FIFA needs to realize what they were going to do if they accepted the Visit Saudi sponsorship. Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has been described as “appalling” by Amnesty International. So why did FIFA consider them in the first place?
Featured image via @fifawomensworldcup on Instagram
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS
Girls Soccer Network
Your source for girls soccer news
