Despite the very poor record of the Saudi kingdom in terms of women’s rights, Visit Saudi would be about to be named among the sponsors of the 2023 Women’s World Cup which will take place in New Zealand and Australia from July 20. Officials of the host country Federations said they had not been informed of the planned agreement and ” wrote jointly to FIFA to urgently clarify the situation”.
In a statement, Football Australia said ” very disappointed “ of not having been consulted on this issue before the decision is taken”. His counterparts in New Zealand said to themselves ” shocked and disappointed » that FIFA did not consult them. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said he expects two billion viewers to watch the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup.
The proposed sponsorship deal has drawn strong criticism: former Australian international Kathryn Gill, co-chair of the Australian Professional Footballers’ Union, said FIFA was ” bound to respect all internationally recognized human rights and to exert its considerable influence when they are not respected or protected. The players’ goal is to make the 2023 World Cup a true force for good and they will continue to hold FIFA to account when it undermines that.”.
