The International Football Federation is preparing to receive a new major sponsor, from Saudi Arabia. A rather disturbing coincidence.
The combination of circumstances leans in favor of Fifa. A little more than three weeks after announcing Saudi Arabia as organizer of the 2034 Football World Cup, Gianni Infantino and his institution received, in a way, a return of favor from the lucky elect.
At least that’s what one would say if one suspected the Swiss leader and the Gulf state of an arrangement between friends. The Times indicated this weekend that Fifa was ready to receive a new sponsor in the family, of… Saudi origin.
Exclusive: Saudi oil giant Aramco sets to become major Fifa sponsor.
Comes after Saudi Arabia confirmed as only bid for 2034 World Cup. https://t.co/w5Tazd1i2v— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) November 16, 2023
Aramco, the state-owned hydrocarbon company in the Middle East’s largest country, would pay around 95 million euros per year over 10 years. Which would make it Fifa’s most important partner.
A billion for the World Cup?
After the strong suspicions of corruption linked to the attribution of the 2022 edition to Qatar (neighbor of the Saudis), how can we not doubt again? Nearly a billion euros to buy a World Cup, this is what could weigh on the shoulders of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of the Sunni kingdom.
When Australia withdrew from the candidacy to host the World Cup in eleven years, only the Saudis remained in the race, the last representatives of the Asian Confederation, chosen as part of a rotation after United States-Canada -Mexico (2026) and Spain-Morocco-Portugal (2030).
