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.
