Saudi oil giant ‘to be FIFA £84m a year sponsor’ as fans say ‘footy is finished’
Saudi Arabian state-owned oil giants Aramco are 'set to become' a major FIFA sponsor with a deal estimated to around a whopping £84million a year.
Aramco – who are the world's most profitable company – are expected to enter a relationship with football's world governing body that is set to last until 2034. The deal comes just weeks after Saudi Arabia became the sole bidder to host the 2034 World Cup and won the rights, after Australia decided against a bid, having been given a 25-day window by FIFA to express interest when the deadline was brought forward unexpectedly.
The sponsorship deal, reported by The Times, would make the oil company FIFA's biggest-paying sponsor, with negotiations said to be at an advanced stage between the two parties.
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Some fans on social media expressed scepticism over the partnership given Saudi Arabia's intention to host the World Cup as one X user wrote: "Footballs finished. Was bad under [Sepp] Blatter but it’s worse now" while another fan commented: "I think I preferred Blatter's FIFA over Infantino."
Ricardo Fort, the former head of global sponsorship at Visa and Coca-Cola and founder of Sport by Fort Consulting, said it was normal business procedure for state-connected companies to enter into sponsorships around global sports events, stating that the partnership between Aramco and FIFA was "natural".
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He said: "It is hard to imagine a World Cup in Saudi Arabia without Aramco being involved. They are one of the largest companies in the world in terms of revenue so it’s natural they would be involved. Just about every global sports event has state-connected companies involved in sponsorship."
Anger from fans have also been placed at the feet of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who the Times said has "developed close links with Saudi Arabia" . This is a conclusion many fans have come to given the fact that the organisation fast-tracked the bidding process for the 2034 tournament last month.
The move stunned many in the football world, as just minutes after the deadline was brought forward, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announced the Saudi bid for the international tournament. The nation's leader was backed in his bid by Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain. He said: "The entire Asian football family" would support Saudi Arabia.
However, critics have said Saudi winning the rights to host the tournament raises concerns over FIFA's ability to fulfil its human rights commitments. Speaking at the time of Australia's withdrawal from the process, Steve Cockburn, human rights charity Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice, said: "Fifa must now make clear how it expects hosts to comply with its human rights policies. It must also be prepared to halt the bidding process if serious human rights risks are not credibly addressed."
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