Activists protest against cooperation between FIFA and oil giant Aramco

On Sunday, demonstrations will take place at five different World Cup stadiums to draw attention to the extreme heat during the tournament. In every corner of America (plus Texas), climate activists will protest against the collaboration between FIFA and Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national state oil company.

According to climate scientists, this edition will be “the most polluting World Cup ever”. Aramco is the largest oil company in the world and has been for years the most greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In May, a group of climate scientists and health and sports experts signed a open letter in which they expressed their concerns about the extreme heat this World Cup and its impact on the players.

Aramco is the exclusive energy sponsor of FIFA. The company is majority owned by the Saudi Arabian state. “And that while Saudi Arabia often tries to stop international climate policy,” says Frank Huisingh, founder of Fossil Free Football, one of the organizers of Sunday’s demonstrations. “FIFA has the largest stage in the world. They could use this to help with climate solutions,” he says. “Instead, they are now promoting one of the biggest polluters in the world.” According to Huisingh, the collaboration with Aramco makes it impossible for FIFA to communicate clearly about the extreme heat caused by climate change. “The latter is now a forbidden word for FIFA, because Aramco does not want to talk about that.”

Apart from Fossil Free Football, the demonstrations are organized by Sierra Club Angeles and Third Act SoCal. The organizers see the collaboration between Aramco and FIFA as a classic example of ‘sportswashing’ – cleaning up a reputation with sports. Companies and states do this through sponsorship of teams, competitions and tournaments.

The demonstrations on Sunday against Aramco will be held (close) to World Cup stadiums in Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, New and Dallas. Group matches are scheduled for Sunday in the SoFi and Hard Rock, the stadiums in the former cities.

The three organizations have also planned protests at other stadiums in the US; in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Cleveland. Baseball and basketball clubs Los Angeles Dodgers, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Guardians are sponsored by the oil companies Philips 66, BP and Shell, and Marathon Petroleum, respectively. No World Cup matches are played at these basketball and baseball stadiums.

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