FIFA seals closer ties to Saudi Arabia with World Cup sponsor deal for oil firm Aramco
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA deepened its ties to Saudi Arabia by confirming a sponsorship on Thursday with the kingdom’s state oil firm Aramco which made a profit of $121 billion last year.
The deal was expected and became inevitable once Saudi Arabia was all but sealed last October as the 2034 host of the men’s World Cup.
The deal through 2027 includes the men’s World Cup in 2026 co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Hosts of that tournament will be decided next month in a three-candidate vote.
The value of the Aramco deal was not disclosed but is likely the richest ever for FIFA by average annual value. The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup being hosted next year in the U.S. was not specified by FIFA though could be part of a separate deal.
“Through the partnership, Aramco and FIFA intend to leverage the power of football to create impactful social initiatives around the world,” the soccer body said in a statement.
Related articles
Real Madrid win lifts Shakhtar into next Champions League. Dortmund loss means Eintracht miss out
GENEVA (AP) — Real Madrid winning the Champions League title also was a victory for Shakhtar Donetsk2024-06-03Senegal's new prime minister criticizes French military presence in the West African country
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s new prime minister, who was freed from jail weeks before the preside2024-06-03Pennsylvania school district's decision to cut song from student concert raises concerns
ROARING SPRING, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania school district’s decision to remove a song from a recent2024-06-03Some of the Catholic Church's best
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has revised how it evaluates purported supernatural events, such as2024-06-03How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 5/31/2024
Stocks ended mostly higher on Wall Street, closing out the market’s latest winning month. The S&2024-06-03Army will present Purple Heart to Minnesota veteran 73 years after he was wounded in Korean War
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — After 73 years and a long fight with the U.S. Army, a Korean War veteran from2024-06-03
atest comment