Activists Protest FIFA's Partnership with Oil Giant Aramco at World Cup

Activists are set to demonstrate at five World Cup stadiums on Sunday, protesting the collaboration between FIFA and Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant of Saudi Arabia. The protests aim to draw attention to the extreme heat during the tournament and what organizers describe as the "most polluting World Cup ever."

Aramco, identified as the world's largest oil company and a leading emitter of greenhouse gases, is the exclusive energy sponsor for FIFA. Climate scientists and experts have voiced concerns about the World Cup's environmental footprint and the health risks posed by extreme heat for players. Fossil Free Football, one of the protest organizers, criticizes FIFA for partnering with a major polluter.

"FIFA has the biggest stage in the world. They could use this to help with climate solutions," said Frank Huisingh, founder of Fossil Free Football. "Instead, they are now promoting one of the biggest polluters in the world." Huisingh argues that the partnership with Aramco makes it difficult for FIFA to address the extreme heat caused by climate change, a topic he claims Aramco wishes to avoid.

The demonstrations, organized by groups including Fossil Free Football, Sierra Club Angeles, and Third Act SoCal, are framed as a fight against 'sportswashing', the use of sports to improve a tarnished reputation. Protests are scheduled near stadiums in Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, New York, and Dallas, where matches are planned. Additional protests are organized at other venues in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Cleveland, targeting sports franchises sponsored by oil companies.

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The FIFA has the biggest stage in the world. They could use this to help with climate solutions. Instead, they are now promoting one of the biggest polluters in the world.