As FIFA prepares to bring the world’s largest World Cup to Los Angeles and other parts of North America this summer, soccer’s global body is also promoting a commitment to environmental sustainability. But some of its funding deals tell a different story – including the first deal with the world’s largest oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco.
FIFA and Aramco first announced the bo a four-year global partnership agreement as late as 2024, which means the fossil pirate logo is likely to appear on the pitch, online and on television during this year’s World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Aramco, which is owned almost entirely by the government of Saudi Arabia, received the highest funding along with Adidas, Coca-Cola, Airno, Qatar, Airno, Qatar, Airno and Qatar.
This year’s tournament will feature 48 teams playing 104 games in 16 stadiums in Canada, Mexico and the United States, including eight games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which has been renamed Los Angeles Stadium. The setup is already there drawn criticism for its environmental impact, requiring teams and fans to fly across the continent, compared to previous World Cup matches held in the country.
The football association has achieved its sustainability goals – including access net-zero emissions by 2040. But some experts say its deal with Aramco undermines that position. The oil company is consistently ranked among the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters, responsible for 4.28% of global carbon dioxide emissions by 2024, more than any other company, according to the independent Carbon Majors website. (Data for 2025 was not yet available).
“Having Saudi Aramco as the biggest global sponsor of this FIFA World Cup completely undermines any credibility that FIFA has, or could have, in terms of sustainability claims,” said Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of environmental sports at the University of Toronto.
Mohammad Abunayyan, chairman of Acwa Power International, left, Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco and Mike Wirth, CEO of Chevron Corp., on stage during the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington last year.
(Stephanie Reynolds/Bloomberg)
The cost of Aramco’s deal with FIFA has not been publicly disclosed, but some experts have estimated it will be about $100 million a year over four years.
In a statement sent to The Times, FIFA, a non-profit organization, said that the total revenue proposed for the cycle from 2027 to 2030 will be about 14 billion dollars, about 90% of which will be reinvested in the global game through programs that support its member organizations and the continued growth of women’s football around the world.
“This record level of reinvestment helps to ensure [soccer] it can be planned and developed in more than 100 countries where it would not be possible – supported by commercial cooperation, including those that cooperate around the world such as Aramco, “says the organization.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, is shown at the world economic conference this month in Washington. FIFA acknowledges that fossil fuel emissions are warming the planet.
(Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg)
FIFA acknowledges that fossil fuel emissions are burning the planet, noting in its 2021 Climate Strategy that “one of the leading causes of climate change is greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by human activities.”
For Aramco, the sponsorship will allow participation in the most watched sporting event in the world. The World Cup gathered more than 3 million viewers and 5 billion engagements for the final tournament in 2022, according to the organization. Nearly 1.5 billion viewers watched the final game.
That could help reposition Aramco as an energy company and not just a fossil fuel: The company has special financing rights in the energy sector and has recently invested in some clean energy projects like solar, wind and blue hydrogen, though much of that is aimed at decarbonizing its operations.
“Aramco is proud to sponsor the FIFA World Cup 2026 through a four-year partnership,” the company said in a statement sent to The Times. “Our partnership with FIFA demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable energy to the world and fostering progress.”
Customers refuel cars at a Saudi Aramco gas station in Santiago, Chile, in March.
(Cristobal Olivares / Bloomberg)
The deal also builds on Aramco’s long-term commitment to the development of football, including its football club, Al Qadsiah, the company said. “Our partnership with FIFA will give us the opportunity to extend this commitment and create a lasting, positive impact on communities around the world by encouraging [soccer] grassroots development and encouraging young people to participate in sports.”
Ricardo Fort, a sports marketing expert who previously led the global sponsorship teams at Visa and Coca-Cola, said he does not agree that the company’s industry should be excluded from sponsorship deals. It has become commonplace for government companies in host countries to sponsor events such as the World Cup or the Olympics, he said. Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2034.
The estimated $400-million funding cost is in line with the event’s scale, Fort said, adding that it represents a “negligible” amount for such a deep-pocketed company. Aramco reported revenue of more than $104 billion by 2025.
Aramco is likely evaluating the return on investment “using indicators such as the company’s name awareness, the company’s reputation, how Saudi Arabia’s product has developed,” he said.
For its part, FIFA officials said that the organization is “committed to integrating sustainability into the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, guided by a comprehensive sustainability and human rights strategy that includes controlling emissions, improving resource efficiency and creating a positive legacy for all participating communities.”
FIFA requires all stadiums to obtain sustainable construction certification for operation and maintenance, the organization said. It also works to reduce the use of diesel generators, increase recycling and reduce food waste in key areas.
During the tournament, FIFA will distribute coordinated vehicles and promote public transport, walking and cycling in cooperation with host cities and public authorities, officials said. This organization also cooperates with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 12,00 trees in the 16 cities where it is hosted.
But partnering with brands such as Aramco and Coca-Cola – the world’s largest plastic producers – “is not completely at odds” with the World Cup’s sustainability credentials, according to Orr, even if football is not the only sport that can collaborate with fossil fuel interests.
“We tend, as North Americans, to point to a port area and say it’s the worst,” Orr said. “But we don’t do it there The NBA is sponsored by Chevronor when i The NFL is owned by oil tycoons.”
In fact, the current model of event sponsorship was started in Los Angeles during the 1984 Olympics, which were the first to fully accept corporate sponsors – including Arco, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola – as part of its core business model. The move was designed to lower taxpayer costs for the host city, and the LA Games were the first to turn a profit in decades.
However, it is unlikely that FIFA will remove sponsors until the games are over or their current contract expires, as the fines for doing so could be huge.
Some athletes don’t want people to forget the story.
Weeks after FIFA announced its deal with Aramco, more than 130 women’s soccer players from 27 countries sent an open letter calling for it to end the sponsorship due to environmental and human rights concerns.
“This funding is worse than our goal [soccer],” the players wrote.
