The world soccer governing body is under fire for agreeing to an enormous sponsorship deal that is in direct opposition to its and others' climate action goals
FIFA inked a four-year contract with Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil and gas giant, in violation of its pledge to only work with companies aligned with the Paris Agreement, Play the Game reported. This sets up the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host an upcoming men's World Cup.
The deal is worth $100 million annually, a drop in the bucket for Aramco, which raked in $121 billion in profits last year alone, its second-best year on record.
"Play the Game could only find one promotional video relating to Aramco's sponsorship of FIFA and its tournaments, raising questions as to the true purpose of the deal," the outlet stated. "The answer perhaps lies in the close links between Aramco, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its ambitions to host the 2034 World Cup."
Aramco is now the exclusive energy sector sponsor of FIFA, including for the 2026 men's World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada and the 2027 women's World Cup in Brazil.
Well over 100 professional female players from 24 countries sent a letter to FIFA to demand an end to the partnership.
"FIFA might as well pour oil on the pitch and set it alight," it states.
Since 1965, Aramco has accounted for 4% of global planet-warming pollution, Play the Game reported. Only China and the former Soviet Union have done more to trap heat in the atmosphere.
The company is also notorious for expanding its operations as it touts its climate action bona fides. Play the Game detailed its misleading and ineffective carbon offset purchases, and Oil Change International research co-director Kelly Trout said Aramco's carbon capture and sequestration investments are nothing more than greenwashing.
"While most experts agree that CCS is essential for combating climate change," Play the Game stated, "there is little financial incentive to invest in it. However, it is financially viable to use CCS to extract even more oil."
In June, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres asked countries to ban fossil fuel advertisements, and news media and tech companies to stop accepting advertising money from the industry.
The United Nations has also called out Aramco, Saudi Arabia, and financial institutions in recent years for failing to work to keep toxic gas pollution in line with reductions needed to limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
"Greenwashing subverts the Paris Agreement in multiple ways, such as stimulating demand for fossil fuels, undermining public understanding of climate change, normalising fossil fuel activity, and reducing consumer actions to reduce emissions," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in a 2023 letter, per Play the Game.
Neither Aramco nor Saudi Arabia responded.
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