FIFA has backflipped on plans for Visit Saudi — the tourism arm of the Saudi Arabian government — to become a major sponsor of this year's Women's World Cup after a public backlash from fans, high-profile players and the governing bodies of co-hosting nations Australia and New Zealand.
At FIFA's Congress in Kigali on Thursday, the organisation's president, Gianni Infantino, confirmed that the partnership had been discussed but would not be going ahead, although he did not rule out future commercial opportunities for Gulf nations in the women's football space.
"There were discussions with Visit Saudi but, in the end, these did not lead to a contract," he said.
"So it was a storm in a tea cup.
"But, having said that, FIFA is an organisation made up of 211 countries. There is nothing wrong with taking sponsorships from Saudi Arabia, China, United States of America, Brazil or India."
Football Australia and Football New Zealand — as well as their respective federal governments — had expressed concerns, both publicly and privately, to FIFA once rumours circulated around the sponsorship earlier this year.
FA and FNZ wrote letters to Infantino, outlining their "serious disappointment and concern" over the possibility, which had been negotiated without their knowledge or input.
"We cannot express strongly enough the potential repercussions and fall-out that could result from this decision," the letter said.
“Australia and New Zealand, both as sovereign nations and as football associations, have for decades placed the utmost importance on gender equality, and have sought to promote these ideals around the world.
"While we acknowledge some important and positive gender equality reforms have commenced in Saudi Arabia, it remains undeniable, under any reasonable standard, that the rights of women remain severely restricted.”
These concerns were publicly echoed by several high-profile current and former players, including USA stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, who described the potential sponsorship as "bizarre" and "outrageous", while injured Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema said that FIFA should be "deeply ashamed".
FIFA had neither confirmed nor denied the Visit Saudi sponsorship over the past few months, despite numerous requests by media, with the global governing body reportedly even keeping Football Australia and Football New Zealand in the dark for extended periods.
ABC understands that the partnership with Visit Saudi was part of a "bundled" commercial deal made with the men's World Cup in Qatar last year, which was also not made public during the tournament.
However, the 2023 Women's World Cup is the first to be commercialised separately from the men's tournament which, perhaps, made it easier to scrap the Visit Saudi arrangement.
While he confirmed it would no longer be going ahead, Infantino highlighted the hypocrisy of Australia rejecting a partnership with the Gulf nation in a sports context, despite working with them in other areas.
"When it comes to Australia, they have trade with Saudi Arabia [worth] $1.5 billion per year. This doesn't seem to be a problem?" he said.
"There is a double-standard, which I really do not understand. There is no issue, there is no contract but, of course, we want to see how we can involve Saudi sponsors, and those from Qatar, in women's football generally."
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson and Football New Zealand both released statements on Friday morning welcoming clarification on the deal.
"Equality, diversity and inclusion are really deep commitments for Football Australia, and we'll continue to work hard with FIFA to ensure the Women's World Cup is shaped in this light," Johnson said.
"It is a historic event for our nation, showcasing the world's greatest female players and advancing the game globally."
Meanwhile, as reported by the ABC last year, FIFA has also confirmed that it would be increasing the prize money for the upcoming tournament by more than 300 per cent, bringing the total pot to $US150 million ($229 million) for the first 32-team women's edition.
The men's World Cup in Qatar last year had a total prize pool of $US440 million.
The announcement comes after 150 players from 25 women's national teams wrote to FIFA through their global players' union, FIFPro, asking for equal World Cup prize money, equal conditions and resources, and the development of a global collective bargaining agreement.
Infantino said that — after this three-fold increase to prize money — FIFA intends to equalise prize money for the tournament at their next World Cups in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
The FIFA president was re-elected, unopposed by proclamation, for the next four-year term.
