FIFA continues sportswashing ahead of Women's World Cup

The GIST: A few months after its sportswashing-heavy men’s World Cup, FIFA is coming back for more. According to a Monday report, world soccer’s governing body struck a sponsorship deal with Visit Saudi for July’s Women’s World Cup, significantly upgrading Saudi Arabia's visibility in women’s sports.

The details: The parties have yet to officially announce the agreement, but the gulf nation’s tourism arm will join Visa and Australia’s Commonwealth Bankas sponsors of only the women’s tourney after FIFA unbundled commercial rights for its women’s and men’s inventory in 2021.

The context: Saudi Arabia has recently made quiet moves in women’s sports — like financing events on the Ladies European Tour — but is now stepping up its presence. State-backed gas company Aramco will sponsor women’s and men’s cricket World Cups this year, and the nation may want to take a bigger swing at golf and expand into tennis.

• The sportswashing mission is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, a plan to quit its economic dependency on oil, which could culminate with the nation controversially hosting the 100th anniversary of the men’s World Cup.

The criticism: Amnesty International condemned the deal on Monday, saying “this latest reported effort to sportswash the country’s appalling human rights record is both breathtaking and yet entirely predictable.” Since the news broke, many have raised concerns about Saudi Arabia’s history of oppressing women, both on and off the field.

• Saudi Arabia has been critiqued for largely disregarding women’s soccer — it only allowed women into stadiums in 2018, launched a domestic women’s league just two years ago and its women’s national team only earned world ranking last month.

• Women in Saudi Arabia still live under laws of male guardianship, and women’s rights advocates like Loujain al-Hathloul have been tortured and banned from speaking publicly. Shameful.

The lingering questions: FIFA and Saudi Arabia will continue to get flak as the women’s World Cup nears, but do they even care? After hosting the men’s edition in Qatar with few business consequences, FIFA may be tempted to keep on sportswashing, regardless of public opinion.

• It’s also worth asking how sportswashing will go over in women’s sports. Short answer? So far, not so well — England’s women’s cricket team might protest the Aramco-sponsored player award at this month’s World Cup.