FIFA and ICC Under Fire for Saudi Aramco Sponsorships Amid Human Rights and Climate Concerns
The controversy is expected to dominate discussions at the UNFCCC annual meeting in London on October 6.
Six of the world’s most prominent sporting organisations, including FIFA, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Formula 1, are facing mounting criticism over their sponsorship agreements with state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco. Human rights and climate advocates argue the deals risk breaching international obligations and contradict the sports bodies’ own sustainability pledges.
In mid-September, a coalition of ten rights and climate organisations — among them Human Rights Watch, ALQST and ESOHR — wrote to FIFA, ICC, Formula 1, Concacaf, Aston Martin, and Dakar Rally organisers ASO, demanding accountability over their partnerships with Aramco. The letters, co-signed by several professional athletes, raised “grave concerns” that such deals undermine global climate action, human rights law, and the Paris Agreement. None of the organisations responded within the two-week deadline.
The challenge follows a 2023 United Nations warning to banks and governments that partnerships with Aramco could contravene international human rights standards.
Key Demands and Questions
The letters pressed sports bodies to disclose:
- Whether they had reviewed Aramco partnerships in light of the 2023 UN concerns.
- Whether mechanisms exist to suspend or end deals if found to cause human rights or environmental harm.
Aramco’s Expanding Influence
Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, has consistently opposed rapid climate transition. Its CEO has dismissed the phase-out of fossil fuels as “fantasy.” Between 2021 and 2023, the company spent nearly $200 million on advertising via its marketing partner IPG, while building a $1.3 billion sports sponsorship portfolio spanning 900 deals.
Upcoming Aramco-branded events include the Singapore Grand Prix, the Women’s Cricket World Cup, and the 2026 and 2027 FIFA World Cups. Critics describe the sponsorship blitz as “greenwashing” that lends legitimacy to fossil fuel expansion.
Sustainability Versus Sponsorships
The backlash highlights contradictions between the sports bodies’ commitments and their financial ties. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called climate change “one of the most pressing challenges of our time,” while F1’s Stefano Domenicali insists sustainability is “one of the most important factors” for the sport. Both FIFA and Formula 1 are signatories to the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Framework, which requires halving emissions by 2030.
The controversy is expected to dominate discussions at the UNFCCC annual meeting in London on October 6.
Human Rights Context
Beyond climate, critics highlight Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Aramco revenue is central to the Public Investment Fund (PIF), linked to abuses under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Recent reports detail poor and dangerous working conditions at the Aramco Stadium construction site in Al-Khobar, where a Pakistani migrant worker was killed in March.
“Sports bodies cannot claim to uphold human rights while selling their platforms to a big polluter,” said James Lynch of FairSquare.
Player Backlash
Over 135 professional footballers, including Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, Canadian captain Jessie Fleming, and England’s Niamh Charles, have called on FIFA to drop Aramco. Female players argue the sponsorship undermines FIFA’s stated commitments to women’s rights.
“The choice to partner with Aramco helps the Saudi regime distract from its harmful treatment of women and the planet,” said Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen.
Kiwi international Katie Rood added: “No sport is worth turning a blind eye to human rights violations.”
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
