The Tourism Authority of Saudi Arabia will not be a sponsor of this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Visit Saudi’s commitment, which has been heavily criticized in parts of the world, did not materialize. “There were discussions with Visit Saudi. In the end, the discussions didn’t lead to a contract,” said the re-elected head of the world association after the FIFA congress.
The 52-year-old described the debates about a Visit Saudi partnership as a “storm in a teacup”.
Infantino: Discussions show “double standards”
The host federations of Australia and New Zealand had publicly opposed the Saudi Arabian Tourism Authority as a possible sponsor of the tournament from July 20 to August 20 in the summer. The German captain Alexandra Popp had also expressed a negative opinion, one was “rather negative about it,” she said a month ago.
Infantino referred to trading relationships between Australian companies and companies from Saudi Arabia. He therefore does not understand the criticism of possible Saudi sponsorship. “It’s a double standard,” lamented the FIFA President. There is nothing fundamentally bad about sponsorship “from Saudi Arabia, China, the USA, Brazil or India”. One must continue to see how Saudi sponsors could get involved in women’s football.
