London, Britain (CNN) — The Australian Football Association and its New Zealand counterpart said they were “disappointed and shocked” at the reported Saudi sponsorship of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in a joint statement, Thursday.
The two countries will host the world championship from July 20 to August 20, and claimed that FIFA did not consult them on the issue of sponsorship.
The Football Association of New Zealand issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: “The Football Association of New Zealand has been informed of media reports indicating that Visit Saudi, the official Saudi tourism authority, is set to be announced as an official sponsor of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the biggest event in the world. female athlete in the world.
The New Zealand Football Association added: “If these reports prove true, we are shocked and disappointed to hear that the New Zealand Football Association and Australia, as host nations of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, were not consulted by FIFA at all on this matter.” The two federations wrote a joint letter to FIFA to “urgently clarify the situation”.
The Australian Federation issued a similar statement to CNN on Thursday, but did not directly mention the name of the Saudi Tourism Authority.
“FA is aware that FIFA has entered into a sponsorship contract for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand,” the Australian statement read.
“We are extremely disappointed that FA was not consulted on this matter before any decision was made. The Australian and New Zealand FAs have written to FIFA together to seek immediate clarification of the situation.”
CNN has reached out to FIFA, the Saudi Football Association and the Saudi Ministry of Tourism for comment.
In response to the potential sponsorship, Amnesty International’s Head of Priority Campaigns and Individuals at Risk Felix Jakens urged FIFA to “speak out about the need to reform human rights in Saudi Arabia and not allow the premier women’s tournament to be solely used for reputation laundering through sport”.
“After the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, the purchase of Newcastle United, the LIV golf series and the country’s hosting of many high-profile sporting events, the use of sport by Saudi Arabia to try to cover up its appalling human rights record has become a frustratingly entrenched pattern,” Jackson added.
“Women in Saudi Arabia face serious discrimination in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody, while Saudi women who dare to speak out about the need for reforms in the country face prison sentences,” the Amnesty official continued.
Jakins concluded by saying, “Saudi Arabia’s large sums of money mean that sponsorship contracts like this will become more common, but without human rights reforms paralleling sports and entertainment events, Saudi Arabia will remain justly accused of sports washing,” as he put it.