Female footballers have shown us how – let’s build a sport free of fossil fuel deals

Male players must step up and add their voice to the campaign to stop our sport being sold out to the big polluters causing climate change

At the Cop29 climate conference last month Sofie Junge Pedersen and Katie Rood again called for Fifa to drop its sponsorship deal with the Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco. They were among more than 130 female players who signed an open letter in October that described the partnership as a “middle finger to women’s football” that will do real damage to people and our planet.

After the letter was published, I spoke out in support of their initiative. I hoped other professional male players would join me. The women were widely applauded for speaking out but their male counterparts have not followed suit. On Wednesday, Fifa is poised to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup.

Men’s and women’s football are very different worlds. Women’s football has a history of players speaking out for equality and inclusion, within the sport and beyond. Careers in it have been marked by financial insecurity, underinvestment and a need to pay attention to life beyond football. It was in big part thanks to the players’ advocacy that the women’s game got to where it is now.

The experience for male players of my generation is different. In general, academy footballers are encouraged to avoid external distractions and elite pros who speak out or pursue a life beyond the pitch leave themselves vulnerable to cries of hypocrisy or being told to “focus on the football” the moment results start to turn. We are too often treated like commodities, there to play increasingly more games and sold when the price is right.

But we care about what is happening off and on the pitch. This has led players to stand up against racism, campaign on mental health or privately donate large parts of their wealth to charities. It has led me to speak out for stronger climate action and against gambling sponsors in football. I perform better when I can freely pursue the things I care about off the pitch.

This is why I spoke out about the Fifa-Aramco deal, which covers tournaments including the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Aramco is one of the biggest-polluting companies of all time and still has no plan to transition away from fossil fuels.

At climate conferences Aramco employees have been part of the delegation from Saudi Arabia, a country that systematically blocks climate action and plots to keep poorer nations “hooked” on its fossil fuels. Getting its brand promoted at the World Cup tells billions of fans that oil is OK and helps Saudi Arabia build its power and push back the end of fossil fuels as far as it can.

Many players agree with me. They are starting to become concerned about what the climate crisis means for the world they and future generations will live in, including one where football may be difficult to play. They don’t want to be implicated in the harm by promoting these polluters. So it’s important to talk about what may be holding them back from speaking out.

Those who speak out will be told by many, from loyal fans, prominent former players and online trolls, to shut up and focus on football. For black players, speaking out invites a barrage of racist abuse. We should learn from the female players, who spoke out together and had safety in numbers.

There is a certain cynicism in men’s football that nothing ever changes, money rules and everyone can be bought. We must move past that. Nothing changes without people pushing for it. If players, fans, coaches, club executives and football associations come together, we’re extremely powerful. There’s no football without us. Let’s build the game we want: one free of fossil fuel promotion that can be enjoyed long into the future.

If you speak about one thing you’re often asked why you don’t speak out about something else. Or you’re told that because your country is not perfect, you have no role speaking out about situations in other countries. I have regularly spoken out about issues in the UK; we have a lot of them and it’s really important we reflect on that. But future generations, those suffering from the climate crisis today or any jailed Saudi human rights activist would not prefer us to stay silent, just because we or the countries we come from are not perfect.

The climate crisis is a shared problem: although it hurts some much more than others, everyone will have to deal with the consequences.

The letter from the female players was signed by players from 26 countries and conversations were held with Saudi activists, climate experts and others to inform the content and prepare the players for questions people could throw at them. If you’re reading this as a player, know that we have many allies ready to team up with us.

Footballers often have a relatively short career and it’s not in their interest to risk annoying their club leadership or limit future opportunities. Here it’s good to know that the global union, Fifpro, always defends the rights of players who speak out.

Players have told me they believe in the cause but are reluctant to speak out because they don’t want to ruin their chances of a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. I sympathise with the allure of financially setting up your family for life but whereas we never know what the future could bring in terms of career opportunities, we do know the climate crisis is extremely dangerous and our voices travel far. Will our grandkids really thank us for ensuring their financial security if it’s at the expense of our planet?

While I’m encouraging male players to speak out, I must also be clear: the responsibility here lies with football leadership, who are selling out our sport to repressive regimes and big polluters. Fifa, Uefa and other football governing bodies must do more to ensure the game can be played long into the future. We can play a role in pushing them to get there. Female players have provided the blueprint – we just need to join them.

Cover photo: By The Guardian