FIFA Signs Four-Year Deal with Saudi Sponsor Aramco

The rumours were true: FIFA signed an agreement with Saudi Arabian company “Aramco”, becoming the official sponsor of the 2026 World Cup. According to Forbes, the deal runs for four years, meaning the Saudi petrol company will sponsor the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Previously, Saudi Aramco already had a minor role in sponsoring the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The deal has sparked controversy among football fans due to Saudi Arabia’s organisation of the 2034 World Cup, for which it was the only bidder. Aramco was denied the opportunity to be involved in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, as the organising body preferred to stay away from the Saudi company. The FIFA-Aramco deal brings the two parties closer together, and rumours claim that the revenue from this sponsorship will be higher than any previous case in football history.

Ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, FIFA was already criticised for choosing Russian petrol giant Gazprom as its sponsor. The football organisation now faces more criticism, as the Saudi Aramco deal reminds fans of the Gazprom deal. Many criticisms were also directed at the organization of the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to the country’s record of human rights (as pointed out by Amnesty International).

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the choice, by saying that “Aramco has a strong track of record of supporting world-class events”. Among those events is Formula 1 (F1) while the Saudi company has also been involved in a deal with Aston Martin and local teams in the Middle East.

Although the involvement in an organisational perspective seems great when it comes to Aramco, the Saudi giants have been criticised due to the lack of environmental care. Additionally, they have attempted to obstruct UN Climate Deals – while searching for further oil projects in Africa. All of this only intensifies the tensions.